Olympic medalist Mirabhai Chanu, renowned for her silver medal in the 49kg category and being only the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal, was elected as the chairperson of the Indian Weightlifting Federation’s Athletes Commission on Tuesday.

In an emotional acceptance speech, the 30-year-old expressed deep gratitude to the IWF for the unanimous vote and extended her thanks to committee members and mentors, including Sahdev Yadav and her coach, Vijay Sir. Chanu acknowledged the responsibility of representing and amplifying the voices of her fellow weightlifters and pledged to work diligently to ensure that athlete perspectives are heard across all relevant platforms.

Emphasizing the honor of her new role, Chanu stated, “I express my immense gratitude to the Indian Weightlifting Federation for electing me as the chairperson of the Athletes Commission. This opportunity to represent and uphold the voice of my fellow weightlifters is truly a matter of great pride for me.”