Manipur announces Rs. 15 lakhs each to Mirabai and Sanjita

Pothashang News Service: Imphal,April 6, 2018: The Manipur government has announced a cash reward of Rs. 15 lakhs each to Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu who have won Gold medals in Weightlifting event at the 21^st Commonwealth Games being held at Gold Coast in Australia.

Sanjita Chanu won second Gold Medal for India in the 53 kg category of women’s weightlifting event today.

Chief minister Nongthomabam Biren Singh congratulated the weightlifter on winning the second Gold medal for the country.

Sanjita clinched Gold Medal in the 48 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow as well. Born on January 2, 1994, the 24-year-old weightlifter has been playing the sport of weightlifting since 2006.

She won Gold Medal at the Senior National Championship in 2009 before grabbing a Bronze Medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2011.

In 2012, she again won Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

Mirabai Chanu won the first Gold Medal for India in the 48 kg category of women’s weightlifting event at 21^st Commonwealth Games, 2018 breaking her own and Games records yesterday. She was the first to open the medal account of the Indian scout.

Mirabai Chanu has been representing India in different international events since 2014 in the 48 kg category. She has won the world championships title and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Mirabai won Silver Medal in the women’s 48 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow. Her biggest achievement came in 2017, when she won the Gold Medal at World Weightlifting Championships held in Anaheim, United States.

In recognition of this feat, she was feted by Biren Singh with a cash prize of Rs. 20 lakhs. Mirabai was awarded the Padmashri by the government of India for her contributions to the sport in 2018.

As per the government rule, cash prizes of Rs. 15, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 8 lakh would be awarded to all the players of the state who win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals respectively in the ongoing Commonwealth Games.