Modinagar, UP: To the world, Mirabai Chanu is the grinning weightlifter capable of pulling weights four times her body weight. For the children determined to follow in her footsteps at Weightlifting Warriors—the academy in Uttar Pradesh’s Modinagar where Mirabai is based for the last couple of years—she is just Mira didi.
Mira didi admonishes them when they slack off in training, playfully threatens to hit them with a rod, orders a Manipuri feast for them each time she returns with a medal, and does a movie night with them every Saturday. In return, the kids, largely in the 8-14 age bracket, pen heartfelt Teacher’s Day greetings for her, choreograph dance and skit performances on her birthday, and promise to carry forward her legacy when she calls it a day.
So far, Sharma and his team have done six scouting trips and are planning to take a few more this year.
“There were many who called my decision to leave NIS Patiala and set up a facility here foolhardy, but I thought I’ll be able to manage the athletes better here,” Sharma, who hails from Modinagar, told HT before leaving for the Asian Games.
Also dancing in delight was 10-year-old Somorin. “Didi really wanted this medal. Weighing 30kg, he already back squats 40kg and front squats 35kg. “We were all waiting for Mirabai to get that medal. “It’s a little tradition we have here. Every time she comes back with a medal, the kids perform a welcome dance, we have a feast and Mirabai gives them a pep talk.
It was the only medal missing in her cabinet and we are super proud of her,” he said. We know how hard she trained for it and how badly she wanted it,” an academy coach said. I guess the celebrations will be bigger and louder this time,” the coach said.
Hailing from Manipur, the staunch Cristiano Ronaldo fan was scouted by Sharma and his team late last year, and he joined the academy this January.
