New Delhi: The first batch of Indian athletes, including ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and Lovepreet Singh, returned home to a hero’s welcome after a successful Commonwealth Games (CWG) campaign with hundreds of fans lining up to receive them at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday.
Olympic medallist Mirabai clinched her third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 49 kg event.
“Coming from Manipur, I feel really proud that I have done something good for my country,” Mirabai said at the airport.
Lovepreet, who settled for silver in the men’s +110kg category after narrowly missing the gold by just one kilogram, said his next target is the Asian Games in Japan.
“I would like to thank my Indian Navy staff and captain Vijay Kumar, and all who have come,” said the 28-year-old from Punjab, who lifted a total of 388 kg, including a Commonwealth Games record of 176 kg in the snatch.
“It happens (missing on gold), but I did my hard work and I have got the result for that and when two players fight one has to lose. Up next, I will prepare well for Asian Games,” he said.
Happy with the warm welcome on their return, Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam, who claimed bronze in the women’s 58 kg category, said she would work even harder ahead of the upcoming competitions. “Everyone has welcomed us like this, so it feels great, thank you all for making feel like home,” she said. “I’ll train even harder than I have so far for the upcoming competitions.”
Rishikanta Singh, who won silver in the men’s 60 kg category, said he would strive for gold the next time.
“Feeling good that I have got a medal for India. I’ve already spoken about my performance, but I’ll come back stronger and perform even better,” Rishikanta said.
The Imphal-born Indian Army weightlifter also appealed for peace in his home state, saying it would help produce more sporting talent. “For me both, Navy and Meitei are equal. I would want to say this that we need peace in Manipur so that Manipur could produce more athletes even better than me,” he said.
Indian weightlifters concluded their campaign with eight medals – one gold, six silver and one bronze.
Chief National Coach of the Indian weightlifting team, Vijay Sharma said: “We feel very proud as we have received this reception here. Everybody is very happy. I am really very happy with the performance of my players.”
“There are some areas where we fell short, and we can work on them to change the colour of our medal from silver to gold. But that happens in sports. Overall, the results are good. We are happy.”
He also lavished praise on Mirabai for her third gold. “Mirabai is an exceptional player. With her discipline, she is able to deliver these results. We are preparing for the Asian Games, and I think we will win that medal as well,” Sharma said.
Silver medallist Harjinder Kaur, who finished second in the women’s 69 kg category, said she has already set her sights on upgrading the medal to gold at the next edition of the Games in Ahmedabad. “My target is to convert the silver medal into gold at the next Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.”
Raja Muthupandi, who bagged a silver medal in the men’s 65 kg category, said the podium finish was a reward for years of perseverance after enduring multiple surgeries.
“I was the only one competing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, but I could not win a medal there. At that time, I felt very bad. After that, I put in a lot of hard work for this medal,” Muthupandi said.
“I was trying to win the gold medal, but my performance on that day was not good enough. Still, I am happy to have won a medal for India for the first time.”
“As an athlete, I have undergone two or three surgeries. After each surgery, my coach and I made plans and worked step by step on my comeback. When you return and win a medal after all the struggle, it feels really good.”
Looking ahead, Muthupandi said his focus has shifted to the Asian Games and the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Another silver medallist, Valluri Ajaya Babu, said he drew confidence from handling the pressure of a closely-fought contest and hopes to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics.
“I am feeling proud. It was my first Games, and it was a good experience. My performance was good. I missed the gold medal, but that’s okay. I will prepare well and train hard.”
“The pressure was there because the contest was decided by just a 1 kg difference. But I performed well under that pressure too, and I felt good. I want to dedicate this medal to my coaches and my father. I will try to qualify for LA 2028 and also for the 2030 Commonwealth Games,” he said.
Martina Devi, who finished in a brave fifth place in the women’s +86 kg category, described her maiden Commonwealth Games campaign as a learning experience.
India are currently fourth in the medal standings with 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze medals for an overall tally of 39.
