'Khel Ratna' Mirabai Chanu wins gold in first competitive meet after returning from injury

World champion Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu notched up a gold medal at the EGAT Cup in Thailand on Thursday, making a strong comeback from the lower back injury that kept her out of action for more than half of 2018.

According to information received, Chanu won the 48kg category gold with an effort of 192 kg in the silver level Olympic qualifying event, the points from which will come in handy when the final rankings for Tokyo 2020 cut are done.

The 24-year-old Manipuri lifted 82kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium after recovering from the injury, which required extensive physiotherapy.

Showing the spirit of a champion our #TOPSAthlete weightlifter @mirabai_chanu won the gold medal at the EGAT’s Cup in Thailand with a total lift of 192 kg in the women’s 49 kg.
This was her 1st competition since the 2018 CWG. Many congratulations!

Photo: @OGQ_India #KheloIndia pic.twitter.com/Auet717jKt

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) February 7, 2019

Chanu had missed the world championships last year, a gold level Olympic qualifier, owing to the injury which had also forced her out of the Asian Games in Jakarta.Chanu last took part at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast where she won gold with an effort of 196kg. She had then lifted 86kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk, a Games record and also her personal best. 

Mirabai Chanu was awared the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award this year at the National Sports Awards. She shared the country's highest sporting honour with ace cricketer Virat Kohli.