Sanamacha Chanu

Sanamacha Chanu is an Indian weightlifter born on 1 February 1975. She is one of the most successful weightlifters of the country who has been bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 2000. Sanamacha Chanu is a name synonymous with the legacy of Manipur. She is one of the gems in weightlifting that Manipur has produced among many others.

Sanamacha Chanu like many other weightlifters were built up by the state of Manipur through its love for sports. Sanamacha Chanu also acknowledges the role of their tiny state in developing international sports persons. Various indigenous games are played with cultural values attached to them in Manipur. Manipur’s Munka Kangjei combines modern-day hockey and rugby. Manipur’s Lai Haraoba festival invites people to play “Munka”. Munka is a form of modern-day wrestling. This increases the number of private and public institutions. These institutions teach such games.

Manipur owns a culture of clubs. They organize all kinds of sports and cultural events at the micro level. These clubs play a big role in teaching sports. The clubs teach the importance of the games. These clubs are often voluntarily funded. Manipur also has less gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is not zero in Manipur. But it is very low compared to other Indian states. Sanamacha Thingbaijam Chanu was also not much supported to follow her passion at the beginning. But later when her villagers started recognizing her talent, they stood together with her and supported her. She acknowledges that sports clubs don’t show differentiation between men and women. Equal space and infrastructure are provided to all.

Interestingly, according to weightlifting experts, Manipuri women are able to squat more efficiently, lift heavier weights and balance better owing to their physique having a low centre of gravity. Beyond that, however, it’s all the sweat, toil and determination they put into their training. Sanamacha Chanu has worked very hard to reach success. She had to leave her village and go to Patiala in Punjab for training in the initial days of her career. Her dedication and determination paved way for her success. She has many international and national titles to her name.