Guwahati: From injuring boys and leaving them to the care of her parents back in her hometown of Mayang Imphal, situated around 28km west of the Manipur capital, teenaged judoka Chanambam has never looked back after becoming the first-ever Indian to win a medal at a world championship last year.
On Sunday, the 16-year-old clinched a silver medal after going down to Turkish judoka Sinem Oruc in the women’s 63 kg category final of Gori Cadet European Cup in Georgia, in what was her first appearance in the new weight category.
She had switched over from the 57-kg category, in which she had already scripted history in 2022 after defeating Brazil’s Bianca Reis for the gold medal at the World Cadet Judo Championship in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and thus became the first from the country to win a medal in the tournament across any age group.
Linthoi, who took up the sport in 2014 at the Mayai Lambi Sports Academy in Imphal, won her first medal at the national level in the sub-junior National Championships in 2018. She also won a gold medal in the National Sub-Junior and Cadet Judo Championships 2021-22 in Chandigarh, before taking a bronze at the AsiaOceania Cadet Judo Championship, in Beirut, in 2021 and followed that up with another gold at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships 2022 in July, last year.
For the young gun, sports has always been an integral part of her life since childhood. From playing football with her friends to dabbling in boxing, Linthoi had tried her hands in many disciplines before finding her feet in judo. And at the receiving end of her fury on the mat would be boys of her age, or at times older than her.
And consequently, it was left to her parents to take the injured boys to the nearby hospital for treatment.
“I have always believed I was no less than a boy. On most occasions I would train with boys of my age or sometimes older than me, and end up injuring them during our matches. At times, my parents had to take them to the hospital nearby for treatment and first aid,” she had told this correspondent in an earlier chat.
Linthoi’s association with judo also signifies the influence on the small town, inhabited by around 25,000 odd people and boasts of a number of judo academies that have come up following the bronze medal clinched by Angom Anita Chanu at the Asian Judo Championship in Bangkok in 2013 and later being felicitated with the prestigious Arjuna award.
“Since childhood, I would spend most of my time at the academy which is hardly a few meters from my native place. I used to play football and occasionally try my hand at boxing, but later I found my interest in judo. There are a few judo academies near my place, but most of them had more male trainees, so I would end up training with boys,” she elaborated.
Born to Chanambam Ibohal Singh, a fish farmer by profession, Linthoi said her father is her biggest motivator while crediting him for making her understand the value of ‘dedication’. The youngster also felt that the challenges she faced have not only made her tough but inculcated in her the importance of being grounded.
“In any profession, I believe dedication is the key. I learnt that from my father with whom I would accompany and help him in his work. I would help him in catching fish, transporting them to the market where we would sell the stuff,” she had said.
Soon after the then 11-year-old left home in October 2017 to join the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) at Bellary in Karnataka, on being spotted by IIS judo head coach Mamuka Kizilashvili, who was tasked to identify untapped talent at the national championships in Telangana.
Impressed by the Manipuri youngster’s abilities, Mamuka took the flight to Imphal to convince her parents to send her to Bellary.
“Initially it was difficult for me as I have always been very close to my father. I had to console him as he cried, but gradually he also understood the quality of training that I would get in Karnataka. Mamuka sir is everything to me, whatever medals I have won are all because of his training,” said Linthoi, who idolises Majlinda Kelmendi, former judoka and the first Olympic gold medallist from Kosovo.
An eight-month training stint with Kizilashvili, one of Georgia’s top coaches, after being stuck in the country during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 has proved productive for Linthoi, who has been making rapid strides in the sport.
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Obsessed with her love for pizza, Linthoi, however, prefers to follow the prescribed diet – more proteins, fewer carbs, and occasionally relishes the Italian dish on winning medals.
For now, Linthoi isn’t sure if she can qualify for the Paris Olympics, but she has definitely set her eyes on making it count in Los Angeles in 2028. The sports ministry has also rightfully invested in the youngster, as she is part of the flagship Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.
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