Mirabai Chanu takes five-month break due to injury: Details here
Ace Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu would be away from action for a while. She has taken an injury-enforced five-month break to strengthen her rotator cuff and shoulder. The injuries were causing pain in her wrists and lower back during the competition. Chanu would like to regain full fitness heading into the Olympic qualification rounds. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
Chanu is India's biggest medal hope at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Hence, the management would need to precisely monitor her fitness status. Chanu's support staff, headed by chief national coach Vijay Sharma, has decided to give the star weightlifter some much-needed recovery time. She is expected to be back in action in May 2023 when the Asian weightlifting championships begin.
How Chanu fared in her last assignment
Chanu was last seen in the just-concluded World Championships in the Colombian capital of Bogota. Despite battling through a dodgy left-wrist pain, she clinched the silver medal in the 49 kg category. The Manipur weightlifter piped China's Hou Zhihui to get the honor. It was Chanu's second medal at the World Championships after previously securing a historic gold (48kg) at the 2017 edition.
Chanu returns to training
After a successful outing in Bogota, Chanu and coach Sharma have returned to the training base at NIS Patiala. Her injuries will be treated at NIS. She won't be lifting weights for at least a month. The star weightlifter will strengthen her shoulder first followed by back pain. In order to cure the shoulder issues, the 28-year-old would attend gym sessions.
Big challenge in Asian games
Chanu would face a stiff challenge in the Asian Games as the roster will have several prominent names. Chanu, the 2017 World weightlifting gold medallist, clinched the silver medal in last year's event. She defeated Tokyo Olympics champion Hou Zhihui to get the honor. Hence, the Indian ace must be determined to put up a similar or better show in next year's event.
Chanu's run in recent times
Despite battling with injuries, Chanu has been at the top of her game. She famously clinched the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 in Birmingham. She also won gold at the National Games in Gujarat despite the wrist issue. As mentioned above, she clinched the silver medal at the World Championships. The veteran weightlifter would certainly like to come back stronger.
Chanu targeting to lift 210 kg
To be in contention for gold at the Paris Olympics, Chanu is targeting to lift 210 kg. However, her snatch has been letting her down. Currently, her best in snatch is 88 kg. She would need to touch the elusive 90-kg mark to close in on her 210 kg target. Strengthening her shoulders and lower back would help her accomplish the same.
