Manipur teenager becomes the first Indian wushu athlete to secure a medal at the Youth Olympic Games, adding another milestone to the country’s growing success at Dakar.
Manipur: In a landmark achievement for Indian wushu, Manipur’s Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu became the first athlete from the country to win a medal in the sport at the Youth Olympic Games, securing bronze in the women’s Changquan combined competition on Monday.
The young athlete delivered a strong performance across two disciplines to finish on the podium with an aggregate score of 18.039 points. Her result marked a historic breakthrough for Indian wushu on the Youth Olympic stage.
Egypt’s Sondos Sonbol claimed the gold medal after topping the standings with 18.660 points, while Venezuela’s Valeria Frannerys Dudamel finished second with 18.199 points to take silver.
Chanu laid the foundation for her medal-winning effort with an impressive outing in the Changquan category, where she earned 9.316 points and finished second. She followed it up with a score of 8.723 in Gunshu, placing third in that segment and ensuring an overall third-place finish in the combined rankings.
The bronze further strengthened India’s medal haul at the Dakar Youth Olympics. Earlier, judoka Khushbu Rajakbhai secured a silver medal, becoming only the second Indian judoka to reach the podium at the Games. Meanwhile, swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu continued her remarkable campaign by winning bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle event.
Chanu’s achievement is being viewed as a significant milestone for Indian wushu, highlighting the emergence of young talent from the country’s northeastern region and providing a major boost to the sport’s profile at the international level.
