But what makes her gold at the Campal Open Ground special is that this is her first National Games gold after giving birth to a baby girl last year. Sanatombi returned to the mat within six months and made her way back to the National Camp in Patiala by clinching a gold at the Senior Nationals in November 2022.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Her feat also kept her in the hunt for an Asian Games berth in Hangzhou, but she was not sent to China as she had not participated in any international competition since 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI had earlier won three golds (a silver in 2007, two gold in 2011, one gold in 2015), but this is a special one as I left my one and half year-old daughter back home in Manipur as her father also on National Games assignment with another team,\u201d Sanatombi said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt was initially very tough to restart training after delivery as muscle development became exceedingly difficult and I had to start with slight jogging, before gradually opting for strength training. In three months, I had the senior national championships (in November, 2022) and I wanted to win it at all costs to regain my confidence. I eventually took the gold to find my place back in the national camp,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Born to a paddy farmer from Imphal East, Sanatombi is the third among five sisters, and has overcome numerous financial obstacles since taking up the sport in 2004.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere were occasions when I would miss tournaments as I couldn\u2019t manage the money for tickets, but always had the belief that someday things would change for the better. The moment came in 2007 after I got a cash award of 1.70 lakh. That helped me repay the debts, and the 2011 gold meant that I could now support my family,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sanatombi has been a dominant force in the senior national arena since making her debut in 2007 with a gold and managed a hat-trick of golds till 2009 before a dip in performance saw her pocket a silver in 2011. However, since then it has been a gold rush for the now 34-year-old with top finishes across all editions of the National championships till 2022.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In international tournaments, Sanatombi boasts of two golds from the South Asian Games and a 2016 World Cup bronze besides a 2017 bronze at the BRICS championships.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Married to James Boy Singh, a coach involved with the Services Canoeing and Kayaking teams, Sanatombi said she didn\u2019t have the opportunity to catch up with her better half despite the couple being in the same state.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOur communication is mostly virtual despite being in the same state. I\u2019m involved with my sport, and he\u2019s a coach, so we couldn\u2019t manage time to meet each other. Also, we have our kid with her aunt. Hope one day she understands our sacrifice,\u201d said an emotional Sanattombi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
An ASI with Manipur Police, Sanatombi hopes to continue playing for another couple of years, and has her eyes on taking up coaching once she retires from the sport. But for now, her hunger for gold lives on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/11\/leaving-one-and-half-year-old-daughter-at-home-sanatombi-wins-another-wushu-gold-at-national-games.jpeg", "alt_img": "Leaving one and half-year-old daughter at home Sanatombi wins another Wushu gold at National Games", "alt_title": "Leaving one and half-year-old daughter at home Sanatombi wins another Wushu gold at National Games ", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Leaving One And Half-year-old Daughter At Home Sanatombi Wins Another Wushu Gold At National Games On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Leaving One And Half-year-old Daughter At Home Sanatombi Wins Another Wushu Gold At National Games, Leimapokpum Sanatombi Chanu: For Manipur\u2019s Leimapokpum Sanatombi Chanu winning a gold medal is a routine affair. The veteran wushu player.", "seo_keywords": "National Games, For Manipur, Leimapokpum Sanatombi Chanu, Tai Chi, Campal Open Ground, National Camp, Senior Nationals, Asian Games, Imphal East, South Asian Games, World Cup, James Boy Singh, Services Canoeing, An ASI, Manipur Police", "tag": "", "tagging": "National Games, For Manipur, Leimapokpum Sanatombi Chanu, Tai Chi, Campal Open Ground, National Camp, Senior Nationals, Asian Games, Imphal East, South Asian Games, World Cup, James Boy Singh, Services Canoeing, An ASI, Manipur Police", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "leaving-one-and-half-year-old-daughter-at-home-sanatombi-wins-another-wushu-gold-at-national-games", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "768", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2023-11-03 16:20:03", "updated": "2023-11-03 16:20:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "National Games, For Manipur, Leimapokpum Sanatombi Chanu, Tai Chi, Campal Open Ground, National Camp, Senior Nationals, Asian Games, Imphal East, South Asian Games, World Cup, James Boy Singh, Services Canoeing, An ASI, Manipur Police", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2023-11-03 16:20:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "others", "cnmid": "817718", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/leaving-one-and-half-year-old-daughter-at-home-sanatombi-wins-another-wushu-gold-at-national-games-10078" }