Like Kunjurani, Mirabai competes in the 48kg category. There was a time when Mirabai wasn’t world-class though. There she gives last-minute advice to Mirabai and Sanjita Chanu, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, both vying for a ticket to Rio. Considering that heavier weights get lifted in practice than during competition, Mirabai insists that the deciding variable between winning and losing is the mental focus of the athlete. ****Soon after her first dreams of the Olympics, Mirabai would begin training at the Manipur State weightlifting center in Imphal under the eye of Anita Chanu, another of the state’s famous lifters.

Source: Indian Express July 15, 2016 21:11 UTC