The quiet heyday of weightlifting in Manipur and Northeast India

You probably know Mirabai Chan by sight from the Olympic Games. But do you know where she’s from?

From a tiny village called Nongpok Kakching. The population is only a few thousand people. Claim to popularity: a girl who used to carry firewood, but now earns her living by lifting important Olympic-level items.

So much for Manipur. This small northeastern state releases weightlifters as if it’s nobody’s business, and many people don’t even realize it’s happening.

The firewood saleswoman will go global

Mirabai was once an ordinary girl who helped around the house. Hauling firewood and carrying water are commonplace in rural India. But her mother noticed something. This girl was strong. Really strong.

Fast forward to Tokyo 2020, and there she is, with a silver medal around her neck. India’s first medal in weightlifting in 21 years. In Paris-2024? Fourth place with a gap of one miserable ring. One kilogram! That’s the difference between grief and triumph.

But here’s the thing-weightlifting in Manipur is no longer just about Mirabai. She turned into a whole line of champions.

Are the kids okay

Let’s take Jeremy Lalrinnunga. Nineteen years old, he is from Mizoram, which is located next to Manipur. The guy wanted to become a boxer like his father, but instead became interested in weightlifting. A good choice. He went to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and broke the Games record by lifting 300 kg. at the age of nineteen!

And the axis and the Bindyarani Virgo. Another Manipuri girl collecting medals of evil, right and center. Silver at the Asian Championships, bronze at the World Championships. She changes weight classes, as if she’s changing clothes, and manages to climb the podium all by herself.

The list goes on. Kunjarani Divi in the 90s and Renubala Chan. Sidhanta Gogoi. It seems that there is a weightlifting factory in this region that is open around the clock.

So what’s their secret?

I’ve been covering sports for years, and I keep asking the same questions. What makes these guys from the northeast so dominant in weightlifting olympics india representation?

Some experts say it has to do with genetics. Mongoloid race, lifestyle in mountainous areas, low center of gravity from nature. It sounds weird, but it makes sense when you see these athletes in action.

Their daily life is mostly pre-training. Walking up and down hills, transferring speeches, physical work since childhood. In addition, they eat rice as their main fuel – ideal carbohydrates for this sport.

Sports analysts on platforms such as DBbet have been tracking these figures for many years. The data confirms what your eyes are telling you – these children are trained differently.

But genetics helps only in this. In fact, the system has changed the rules of the game.

We raise champions, not find them

The Indian Weightlifting Federation has finally realized what they are doing. Instead of hoping that the next superstar would appear by accident, they started looking for talent for real. School curricula, Talent identification Schemes, and proper coaching.

And the most important point is that they have made it mandatory to have an equal number of male and female athletes. In a country where women’s sports are often overlooked, this made a big difference in places like Manipur, where girls were already breaking through barriers.

The money also flowed down the river. The Ministry of Sports has allocated 2.74 crores just to prepare Mirabai for Paris. She was sent to train with specialists in the USA. This is a serious investment in India weightlifting olympics success.

Not everything is so smooth

But let’s be realistic-it wasn’t easy. A few years ago, India was banned from participating in international competitions due to additional violations. Saving is not everything.

Sachdev Yadav, who now heads the Weightlifting Federation, was quite honest about this: “We had some problems in the past, but today and the future are insanely different.” They run anti-doping seminars everywhere, especially for young athletes who may not know what to do.

Injuries are another nightmare. Jeremy missed the competition due to back problems immediately after his Commonwealth triumph. Mirabai has problems with his wrists, hips, and so on. When you regularly lift twice your body weight, something is bound to make itself felt by the nobility.

The next chapter

But the axis is interesting. This year, India is hosting a community champion for the first time. The advantage of Northeastern athletes in the home championship? It can be huge.

The Helo India program in this section is dedicated to Miss-Tevi Academy. The MS Mary Kom Boxing Academy in Manipur has already benefited. More opportunities, better coaches, systematic development, rather than hoping for lightning to strike twice.

These days you walk around Imphal and the kids talk about weightlifting the same way their friends in Mumbai talk about cricket. Such a shift in thinking is a real victory.

The Silent Revolution

While everyone is watching cricket matches and football broadcasts, something remarkable is happening in the northeastern part of India. Manipur weightlifting has gone from individual mastery to sustained success.

Of course, the recent world champion suffered a setback for the Indian team. The lack of medals, the number of disappointing performances. But the system is strong. Young athletes are trained in the system with proper training and support.

These are no longer overnight success stories. They are the result of years of building infrastructure, changing approaches, and investing in previously contested regions.

From Kunjarani Divi winning seven medals to the world champion in the 90s to today’s multisport success, this region has become a real breakthrough. They showed that with the right approach, individuals don’t just need to rely on an individual skill – they can achieve it.

Now the secret is out. It is not by chance that good weightlifters appear in Manipur and in the north-east of the state. They have created a system that works, and it will work for many years to come.

The next time you see an Indian weightlifter on the Olympic podium, there’s a good chance he has Northeastern roots. This is no longer a collection. It’s a strategy.