Imphal (Manipur) [India], July 28 (ANI): Manipur Chief Minister Khemchand Yumnam on Monday interacted virtually with Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh, congratulating the two weightlifters for bringing laurels to the state and the country at the ongoing Games in Glasgow.Sharing a video of the interaction on X, the Chief Minister wrote, “Had the privilege of interacting via video conference with Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 medalists Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Gold medalist in the Women’s 48 kg Weightlifting event, and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh, Silver medalist in the Men’s 60 kg Weightlifting event. Their remarkable achievements have brought immense pride to Manipur and the nation, once again reaffirming Manipur’s legacy as India’s sporting powerhouse. Heartiest congratulations and best wishes for continued success.”Had the privilege of interacting via video conference with Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 medalists Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Gold medalist in the Women’s 48 kg Weightlifting event, and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh, Silver medalist in the Men’s 60 kg Weightlifting event.Their… pic.twitter.com/AQZL6UJ6k8— Khemchand Yumnam (@YKhemchandSingh) July 27, 2026During the interaction in the shared video, the athletes greeted the Chief Minister, congratulated both athletes and said, “Congratulations to both of you. Thank you very much. Mirabai, you bagged the gold medal, and Rishikanta, you bagged the silver medal! We are proud of you.”Mirabai thanked the Chief Minister for his support.The Chief Minister further said, “Both of you are a pride of the state. We are very proud and happy that you have brought laurels to the state of Manipur and India. Let’s catch up once you come back to Manipur.”Responding to him, Mirabai said, “Yes, sir. We’ll inform you.”The Olympic medallist also expressed gratitude for the support she has received from the state and the country.”Sir, it’s all because of your support that we’ve reached this stage. We have achieved such a feat because of the love, encouragement and appreciation of the people of Manipur and the whole of India. For players like us in this discipline, it’s our duty to think only of achieving the goal. Without your love and support, we alone could not have achieved this. Sir, we receive huge support and encouragement, and the credit goes to you and the people of Manipur and India,” Mirabai said to the CM.The Chief Minister highlighted Manipur’s rich sporting legacy, saying, “India, with a population of more than 130 Crore, our small State of Manipur has a population of under 30 lakhs. Yet, Manipur won the country’s first opening gold medal. We are very proud of that. Along with that, we also won a silver medal. We are very happy. And play well for any future endeavours. We are here to give you our full support.”Mirabai and Rishikanta thanked the Chief Minister before concluding the interaction.Mirabai opened India’s gold account at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games by winning the women’s 48kg title, completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals after her triumphs in 2018 and 2022.The Olympic medallist set Commonwealth and Games records during the competition before successfully lifting 105kg in the clean and jerk to seal the title.Rishikanta also impressed in the men’s 60kg event, winning silver with a combined total of 264kg (121kg snatch and 143kg clean and jerk). He set a new Commonwealth Games snatch record with a personal-best lift of 121kg before eventually finishing behind Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq Kasdan, who claimed gold with a Games-record total of 273kg. Kenya’s Joshua Mboya secured the bronze medal with 260kg.The medals by Mirabai and Rishikanta laid the foundation for India’s successful weightlifting campaign in Glasgow, where the country has emerged as one of the strongest performers in the sport. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)