Manipur teen wins India’s 1st world judo title, Georgia town celebrates

When Linthoi Chanambam, 16, became the first Indian to win a world title in judo on Friday, two families were united in celebrations — one in her hometown in Manipur, and the other in a town in Georgia.
When the world was battling the Covid-19 pandemic and the first lockdown was imposed, Chanambam was stuck in Akhmeta, a town of about 8,000 people in Georgia, for nine months. The hometown of her coach Mamuka Kizilashvii, Akhmeta, a judo hub which has produced two Olympic champions, became Chanambam’s second home, as she formed a close bond with her coach’s extended family of 30.
On Friday, Chanambam defeated Brazil’s Reis Bianca (57 kg) 1-0 Waza-ari — a throw — to win the gold at the World Cadet Championships in Sarajevo. Kizilashvii’s family was the first to receive a picture of Chanambam posing with the gold medal and they were soon on a video call.

“It was a difficult time for the whole world, as it was for us too. But coach Kizilashvii’s family made sure that I was always happy, although I was far away from my parents and family,” Chanambam said from Sarajevo.
The ice was broken over meals at Kizilashvii’s home. His wife Salome, son Levan and daughter Elene took to the teenage Indian judoka and made her feel at home.
Kizilashvii was Chanambam’s side when she won the horic gold. “I sent Linthoi’s picture with the gold medal to my family, they too celebrated,” he said.
Linthoi Chanambam at the home of her Georgian coach Mamuka Kizilashvii. (Courtesy: Mamuka Kizilashvii)
The restrictions on international flights proved to be a blessing in disguise for Chanambam, as it enabled her to train against some of the top judokas in the town from where 2004 Athens Olympic winner Zurab Zviadauri and 2008 Beijing Olympics champion Irakali Tsirekidze hail.
“We were training in Georgia when the lockdown was imposed, so we could not return to India as planned. Most of the national judo players come to train there. Chanambam would train against the likes of world junior champion Eteri Liparteliani,” Kizilashvii said.
Chanambam took her first steps in judo in Mayang, Manipur, where her father is a fish farmer who also works as a mason, and her mother is a part-time tailor and homemaker.

“My father owns half an acre of land on which there is a fish pond. We are not rich, but my parents are very determined people. They never let me stop dreaming about winning a big medal in judo,” Chanambam said. The family earns about Rs 80,000 a year selling fish.
Chanambam started off playing football, and tried her hand in boxing before focussing on judo. “I trained in judo like my life depended on it,” she said.
Her strength and willpower are her biggest strengths, said Angom Surjit Meitei, coach at the Mayai Lambi Sports Academy, where she first trained. “She would never miss a training session and would also help her family in managing the fish pond,” he said.
When she was just 11 years old, Chanambam had to leave her home to move to Bellary in Karnataka, after being selected the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS). “I am very attached to my father. We cooked meals together and ate together. When I won the sub-junior national title and IIS coaches told me about my selection, we both cried a lot as I had to leave home,” she recalled.
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While she has returned with a medal from four of her five international competitions so far, the gold on Friday was her biggest achievement. “After the final, I felt like I had done something incredible,” she said, adding that she was now looking forward to some “me time”.
“Dancing to hip hop music and gardening is what I want to do during a short break. After that, it will be back to judo. I have many more goals to achieve. This is just the start,” she said.