At the SEC Armadillo arena in Glasgow, Scotland on July 26, Mirabai Chanu stood on the podium, tears rolling down her eyes, as the Indian national anthem played. The 31-year-old weightlifter from Kakching, Manipur, had just won her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold, an achievement that has etched her in an echelon of India’s sporting giants. Excerpts from a conversation with her:
Mirabai Chanu powered India to its first gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, setting a Games record with a combined lift of 190kg in the women’s 48kg event. (Photos: ANI and PTI)
Q1. Take us back to that moment — what really made you cry when the anthem played?
A. Jaise hi arena mein national anthem bajte hue suna, main yaad karne lagi ki main yahan tak kaise pahunchi. I was getting flashbacks and seeing visuals of me going through stuff that can break anyone and what I had to sacrifice and overcome to get to the podium. After all that, to now be standing in front of the world made me cry. Khushi ke aansu thhe.
Q2. Can you talk more about the challenges?
A. After you win a medal, the world feels like it’s under your feet. But there are moments before that spotlight that we don’t talk about. An entire nation’s expectations is riding on you. In a few days, you have to walk onto the mat with strength. Then, days before the competition, you can pick up an injury. Everything you’ve spent months building comes shattering down. To get back in the gym, to fight through the pain in training, all over again, that’s the part no one sees. In complete silence, with no one watching, I had to pull from every bit of mental strength I had, even on the days I felt completely down.
Q3. Your tears went viral, but so did your hair-clip. What’s the story there?
A. I did not realize this will go viral (chuckles). But, to see everyone loving it makes me so happy. A night before the event, I was sitting in my room and wondering, “How do I carry the tiranga with me during competition?’ First I was thinking I’ll do nail art, but then I thought why not my hair clip. I took a paper, drew a butterfly on it in the Indian tri colours, and stuck it to my hair clip. Now when I see pictures, yes it does look very cute.
Q4. Everyone assumes weightlifters walk out to hardcore gym anthems. What’s actually playing in your ears before a lift?
A. What makes me laugh is people think weightlifter hai toh ‘dham dham’ waale gaane sunti hogi. But, I love Lata Mangeshkar ji. That’s all that plays in the gym when I’m training. Everyone tells me “aree aap to weightlifter ho aap itne shaant gaani kyun sunti ho,” she chuckles. “But her voice and simplicity gives me peace and that peace translates into power. .Music helps me a lot building mental strength.
Q5. Three Commonwealth golds. A Tokyo silver. India is calling you a legend now — do you feel like one?
A. Jiss din se mat pe aayi hui, mera toh bas ek hi sapna hai ki India ko jeetaungi — woh hi kar rahi hoon. Mujhe uske aage nahi pata, lekin agar mera desh mujhe legend bula raha hai, toh yehi unka pyaar hai. Issi pyaar ke bharose medals laati hoon.
Q5. Who are the people you turn to — in your highs and lows?
A. The people around me are where I draw all my strength from to keep up with the pressure are my coach Vijay sir, my mom, my family. After every win or loss, these are the people I speak with, and they ground me like nothing else does.
Q6. Up next is a medal that has stayed out of reach your entire career. Is this the year?
A. Yes, the Asian Games is happening in Japan this September. A dream I’ve seen all my life, but has always stayed missing, is a medal at the Asian Games. That is the toughest competition for weightlifters. This time, I want to finally win it and I am confident.
