Tricolour in hair, tears in her eyes: Mirabai’s golden tribute to India

Mirabai Chanu’s gold medal at the Commonwealth Games was wrapped in patriotism.

As she stepped onto the weightlifting platform on Sunday, the three-time Commonwealth Games champion sported butterfly-shaped hair clips made from tricolour ribbons, a tribute to the country she was determined to make proud.

“I wanted to do something for India, so I made these butterfly clips with Indian flag-coloured ribbons last night,” Mirabai told PTI after winning the women’s 48kg gold.  The tricolour remained close to her even after the competition ended.

Standing atop the podium as the Indian national anthem echoed through the arena, Mirabai struggled to hold back her emotions.

“Seeing the flag and hearing our National Anthem just makes tears flow naturally,” she said.