Olympics 2021: Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra overwhelmed by India's first medal, pens down appreciation letter for silver medallist Mirabai Chanu

Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra on Saturday congratulated weightlifter Mirabai Chanu on her historic triumph at Olympics 2021. Mirabai bagged a silver medal in the 49kg weightlifting division. Bindra said that Mirabai's Olympic medal will inspire generations to come.

Mirabai won the first medal for India in the the 2021 edition of the Olympics. Her silver medal feat has inculcated hope among millions of aspirants who dream of standing in her place one day. Not only that, going further into the Olympics it will also be a major positive for the Indian contingent.

I am really happy on winning silver medal in #Tokyo2020 for my country 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gPtdhpA28z

— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) July 24, 2021

Among the many appreciation and congratulations posts, one was special. It was from the 2008 Beijing gold medallist shooter, Abhinav Bindra.

From one Olympic medallist to another, Bindra expressed his greetings through a letter to Mirabai on her excellent achievement.

Bindra won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Olympics.

Abhinav Bindra congratulated Mirabai and wrote:

"Dear Mirabai, Your outstanding performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 is sure to be remembered as one of the best by an Indian athlete at the Olympic Games and shall also serve as an inspiration for generations to come."

"In over a hundred years of our nation's participation in the Games, only a special few have managed to experience the elation of standing at the podium". he wrote.

"It is a reward for years of hard work and single-minded determination spent on perfecting your craft. All the sacrifices you made in your quest to bring glory to the nation will make this incredible milestone even sweeter."

He wished her luck for the future. "Wishing you all the very best for the future and hoping you will continue to go forward with the same competitive spirit with which you conquered Tokyo," Bindra wrote.

Bindra also called out the family and coaches for their backing and efforts that went into producing the now Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.

@mirabai_chanu pic.twitter.com/tBy02f4SiE

— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) July 24, 2021

Mirabai's silver medal win in Tokyo:

Mirabai defied all odds to become the second-ever Indian female weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic weightlifting medal.

She lifted 202kg to better Karnam Malleswari's bronze medal in the 2000 Olympic edition. She lifted 87kg and 115kg weights and went on to create a historic Olympic record, with an impressive lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.

Weightlifting - Olympics Mirabai Chanu (India)

Mirabai finished just 8 points behind gold medallist from China Hou Zhihui in the snatch. Zhihui lifted 94kg to bag a gold medal in the 49kg category.

Mirabai, who stepped into Olympics 2021 as a medal prospect, didn't let the nation down. She put forward a phenomenal performance and made India proud.