Linthoi from Manipur teen adds a sliver medal India’s judo future
GUWAHATI: From injuring boys and abandoning them in her hometown of Mayang Imphal, about 28 km west of the Manipur capital, teenage judoka Chanambam has never looked back after becoming the first Indian to win a medal in Last year’s World Championship.
On Sunday, the 16-year-old defeated Turkish judoka Sinem Oruc in the final of the women’s 63kg category of the Gori Cadet European Cup in Georgia, her first appearance in the new weight category.
She had switched over from the 57 kg category, in which she had already made history by defeating Brazil’s Bianca Race for the gold medal at the 2022 World Cadet Judo Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and thus She became the country’s first player to win. A medal in any age group tournament.
Linthoi, who took up the sport at the Maya Lambi Sports Academy in Imphal in 2014, won her first medal at the national level in 2018 at the Sub-Junior National Championship. He also won gold medal in national sub-junior and cadet. Judo Championship 2021-22 in Chandigarh, before a bronze medal at the Asia-Oceania Cadet Judo Championship in Beirut in 2021 and another gold medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championship 2022 in July last year.
For the young gun, sports have been an integral part of her life since childhood. From playing soccer with her friends to jumping into boxing, Linthoi tried her hand at many disciplines before setting foot in judo. And on the receiving end of her fury on the mat would be guys her age, or sometimes older.
And consequently, it was left to her parents to take the injured boys to the nearest hospital for treatment.
“I have always believed that I am no less than a boy. Most of the times I used to train with boys my age or sometimes with boys older than me, and during my matches I would injure them. At times, my parents had to take them to the nearest hospital for treatment and first aid,” she had told this correspondent in an earlier interaction.
Linthoi’s association with judo also marks the influence this small town has on the town, which has a population of about 25,000 and boasts a number of judo academies, including Angum Anita Chano’s at the Asian Judo Championships in Bangkok. After winning the bronze medal. She was later awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award.
“From childhood, I spent most of my time at the academy, which is barely a few meters from my hometown. I played football and occasionally tried my hand at boxing, but later I found an interest in judo. “There are a few judo academies near my place, but most of them had male trainers, so I would end up training with boys,” she explained.
Born to Chanambam Ibohal Singh, a fish farmer by profession, Linthoi said his father was his biggest inspiration and credited him with instilling in him the value of ‘dedication’. The youngster also felt that the challenges he faced not only made him tougher but also instilled in him the importance of being grounded.
“In any profession, I believe dedication is the key. I learned this from my father, who I would accompany and help him in his work. I would help him catch fish, I will take it to the market where we will sell the goods,” she had said.
Soon after the then 11-year-old left home to join the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary, Karnataka, in October 2017, he was spotted by IIS head judo coach Mamuka Kizilashvili, who was nationally recognized. was tasked with identifying untapped talent Championship in Telangana.
Impressed by the talent of the Manipuri youth, Mamuka flew to Imphal to convince his parents to send him to Bellary.
“Initially it was difficult for me as I have always been very close to my father. I had to comfort him when he cried, but gradually he also understood the quality of training I would get in Karnataka. Everything is there, all the medals I won are because of his training,” said Linthoi, who idolizes former judoka and Kosovo’s first Olympic gold medalist Majlinda Kelmendi.
After being stranded in the country during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, an eight-month training stint with Kizilashvili, one of Georgia’s top coaches, has proved fruitful for Linthoi, who is making rapid progress in the game. .
With her love for pizza, Linthoi, however, prefers to follow the recommended diet – high protein, low carbs, and occasionally relishes the Italian dish when she wins medals.
Currently, Linthoi is not sure if she can qualify for the Paris Olympics, but she definitely has her sights set on making it count in Los Angeles in 2028. The Sports Ministry has also rightly invested in the youngster, as the flagship Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.
