Despite the shadow cast by a couple of athletes failing doping tests, the overall haul of gold and bronze medals significantly boosted India's sporting prestige. For a long time, our weightlifters were seen as underdogs in major competitions like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, but in 2018, they shattered that image with world-class displays of strength.
Sixteen-year-old Jeremy Lalrinnunga etched his name in the history books by winning a gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. This was a monumental milestone, marking the very first time India ever secured an Olympic gold in weightlifting. The fact that a boy of only sixteen could achieve something so unprecedented was truly inspiring. Because of this breakthrough, the entire sporting community now views weightlifting as having entered a golden era of recognition and growth in India.
Looking closer at the young prodigy, Jeremy Lalrinnunga was born on October 26, 2002, in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. During the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, he represented India with distinction, ultimately dominating the 62kg category to claim the country's first-ever gold in the event.
Similarly, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu delivered a masterclass in strength during the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where she secured India's first gold of the competition. Having already amassed several World Championship and Commonwealth titles, Mirabai noted that these victories were the culmination of years of relentless hard work. In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the sport, the Indian government honored her with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. However, the sporting world was shocked this same year when another Commonwealth gold medalist, Sanita Chanu, failed a doping test.
కామన్ వెల్త్ గేమ్స్ గోల్డ్ మెడలిస్ట్ అయినటువంటి సంజితా చను, ఈ ఏడాది జరిగిన డోప్ టెస్ట్ లో విఫలం అవ్వడం దేశ క్రీడా లోకాన్ని ఆశ్చర్యానికి గురి చేసింది.