Mirabai Chanu, who won the silver medal in weightlifting for India on the very first day at the Tokyo Olympic Games, has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award. Chanu was declared the winner after the results of the public vote.

Also read:Mirabai Chanu: “Weightlifting is not dangerous for girls”

Earlier in the year 2021 she had also received BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award. With this, the 28-year-old weightlifter from Manipur has become the first sportsperson to win the award for two consecutive years. Moreover, Mirabai Chanu is the first Indian woman player to win the Olympic silver medal in weightlifting. Last year she won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games and also won the silver medal in the World Championship in 2022.

Meanwhile, other sportspersons who were nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award include wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, boxer Nikhat Zareen and badminton player PV Sindhu. While table tennis player Bhavina Patel was selected for the Para Woman Player of the Year award. Pritam Rani Siwach, former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, was given the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award.

On the other hand, boxer Nitu Ghanghas, who won the gold medal in the women’s minimum-weight category at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham last year was conferred with the BBC Emerging Player of the Year award.

A panel of eminent Indian sports journalists and experts voted to choose the nominees before public voting was conducted to determine the winner. The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2022 winner was announced at a gala on Sunday.

Also Read: What You Need to Know about Weightlifting as an Olympic Sport 

Winners list:

BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year – Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting)

BBC Emerging Player of the Year – Nitu Ghanghas (boxing)

Lifetime Achievement – Pritam Rani Siwach (hockey)

Indian Para-sportswoman of the Year – Bhavina Patel (table tennis)