Mirabhai Chanu elected as Wrestling Federation's Athletes Commission chairperson

Olympic medallist Mirabhai Chanu was elected as the chairperson of the Indian Weightlifting Federation’s Athletes Commission on Tuesday, April 15. Chanu, who won the silver medal in the 49kg category was the second Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Olympics.

Chanu expressed her gratitude towards the IWF for electing her as the chairperson and thanked the committee members for voting for her unanimously into the role. The 30-year-old said that the opportunity to represent and uphold the voice of the fellow weightlifters is a matter of great pride for her.

Chanu also said that she will take the responsibilities that come with the role seriously. The Olympic medallist said she will work towards spreading the athletes’ voice and viewpoints across all key channels to ensure focus on the sport.

“I express my immense gratitude to the Indian Weightlifting Federation for electing me as the Chairperson of the Athletes Commission of the federation. I am extremely grateful to Sahdev Yadav Sir for showcasing faith in me. I also thank the committee members for unanimously voting for me.”

The opportunity to represent and uphold the voice of fellow weightlifters is a matter of great pride for me. I also wish to thank my coach Vijay Sir, for their constant support and guidance over the years. I pledge to take the responsibilities that come with the role seriously. I will work towards spreading the athletes’ voice and viewpoints across all key channels to ensure we can continue to dedicatedly focus on the sport without being distracted by external factors,” said Chanu.

Chanu won her Olympic medal at Tokyo after lifting a total of of 210 kg. She was in line for clinching another medal at the Paris Olympics last year but missed out eventually. The only medal missing from Chanu’s cabinet is an Asian Games medal.