Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu feels her silver medal win in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics will inspire girls to take up the sport.
Mirabai Chanu opened India's medals tally on Saturday as she bagged a silver in the women's 49kg category.
"My dream of winning the medal has been achieved. I learned after my defeat in the Rio Olympics, changed my technique, and worked hard," said Chanu in a virtual press conference organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
"My win will change things for sure as in weightlifting not many girls participate. After this, I want every girl to take weightlifting as a sport. In further tournaments, I want there should be maximum participation from the girls. I feel now more girls will take up the sport of weightlifting," she added.
The ace weightlifter urged everyone to motive their daughters to take up sports as a career.
"Girls have the power to achieve anything, I urge everyone to motivate their daughters to take up a sport (any sport)," she said.
Chanu lifted a total of 202 kg (87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk) during her four successful attempts in the competition.
"I had worked for Rio also but I feel that wasn't my day. That day I decided that I have to fulfill my dream in the Tokyo Olympics," she said.
"Everyone in my village and my mummy are very happy. When I started playing, I didn't know much about the Olympics. Slowly, slowly I learnt about the things, and kept working hard on my training and diet," she added.
Earlier in the day, Chanu's chief coach Vijay Sharma said he is very happy and he also praised the weightlifter's work ethic.
"The setback of Rio Olympics has brought us here. The coach has an important role, if the player is not disciplined, then the coach cannot also do anything. I would say that Mirabai Chanu has a big role behind this performance. She is very dedicated and it is because of that, she has managed to win a silver medal," Sharma told ANI
"We could have done better, but we are very happy with the silver medal. Mirabai Chanu told me that we have fulfilled our dream of winning a medal at the Olympics," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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