Mirabai Chanu: From Heartbreak to Hat-trick
The weightlifting arena at the Rio 2016 Olympics was the site of one of Mirabai Chanu's most crushing professional moments. She failed to log a single successful lift in the clean and jerk section, recording a 'Did Not Finish' (DNF) next to her name.
The failure was so profound that a 21-year-old Chanu was left completely broken and contemplated quitting the sport altogether. She battled depression and had to seek help from psychologists to process the immense pressure and disappointment. The road back involved not just rebuilding her confidence but also completely overhauling her technique to fix the flaws that led to her Rio failure. Two years later, at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she was a reigning world champion. There, she produced a dominant, record-breaking performance to win gold, lifting a staggering 26kg more than her silver-medal performance from 2014. She went on to defend her title in 2022 and again in 2026, completing a historic hat-trick of CWG golds and cementing her comeback from the depths of despair.
Sanket Sargar: A Silver Medal Won Through Agony
Sometimes, the struggle isn't in the years leading up to the Games, but during the final moments of competition itself. For weightlifter Sanket Sargar, his CWG debut in Birmingham 2022 became a showcase of pure grit. During his second clean and jerk attempt in the 55kg final, he heard a horrifying 'snap' from his right elbow. The injury was severe, tearing ligaments and causing immense pain. Despite this, with a gold medal on the line, he returned for his third and final lift. The pain was visibly overpowering, and he couldn't complete the lift, crying out in agony. Though he missed out on gold by a single kilogram, he secured a silver medal for India, appearing on the podium with his arm in a sling. His courageous effort came at a cost; he had to undergo surgery in London, paid for by the Indian government, and faced a recovery period of over six months. His silver wasn't just India's first medal of those games, but a symbol of incredible bravery.
Vinesh Phogat: Conquering Injury and Mental Demons
For wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a career-threatening injury at the Rio 2016 Olympics was the start of a gruelling battle, both physical and mental. A painful knee injury forced her out of the quarterfinals, a devastating blow that was followed by a long and difficult recovery. The setback was immense, and the journey back was not easy, culminating in another knee surgery in August 2023. She was sidelined for over 16 months, missing key events like the Asian Games. Beyond the physical toll, the pressure and public scrutiny tested her mental fortitude. However, Vinesh is a fighter. She made a spectacular comeback at the Senior National Wrestling Championships, proving she was far from finished. Her triumphs at the Commonwealth Games, where she is a multiple gold medallist, are a testament to her ability to rise again after being knocked down, fighting not just opponents on the mat but also the scars of past injuries.
Achanta Sharath Kamal: The Veteran Who Refused to Fade
Age is a formidable opponent in sport, but for table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal, it was just another challenge to overcome. At 40 years old, heading into the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he was already one of India's most decorated athletes. The period leading up to the games, marked by the pandemic, was filled with uncertainty. At 37, he felt like he was 'driving a car in darkness' and wasn't sure what the future held. It was a significant mental blow, and he sought help from mental toughness coaches to stay in the right frame of mind. Instead of winding down his career, he produced his best-ever CWG performance. In Birmingham, he played an astonishing 12 matches over three days, winning three gold medals and a silver. His singles gold came 16 years after he first won it in 2006, a remarkable display of longevity and reinvention from a player who refuses to let time define his limits.
