Ariha Pangambam etched her name in history on Friday in the Philippines, becoming the first Indian to win a senior women’s individual gold medal at the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. For the 22-year-old from Khongman Zone in Imphal, Manipur, the podium finish was as overwhelming as it was historic: “I missed out on a medal at the 2024 edition, so I told my parents that come what may, I would win one next time. Winning gold hasn’t even sunk in yet. What makes it extra special is that it comes days ahead of Independence Day. Standing on the podium with the national anthem playing, tears were rolling down my eyes.”
Yet, the journey to the podium was far from smooth, “The day before the competition, I was panicking. In India, there is only one proper aerobic gymnastics floor—in Uttarakhand—so we don’t get to train on the actual competition surface, which is wooden with double flex. I kept slipping on elements I was usually most confident about and couldn’t sleep that night. But right before stepping out on competition day, I thought about my parents, my coaches, and their endless support and then nothing could stop me.”
A sport not as well known became a passion for Ariha very young, “I loved music and dance as a child and fell in love with aerobic gymnastics, but Manipur’s only training centre offered artistic gymnastics back then. I finally switched to aerobic gymnastics in 2015, and it became my whole world. Balancing that with school was tough, which is why I owe everything to my parents. They worked their jobs, managed my daily schedule, and ensured I was eating and sleeping well just so I could live a moment like this.”
While the gold shines bright, she remains candid about the stark reality facing athletes like her: “Athletes from lesser-known sports in India only get recognition when we win major medals—otherwise, no one cares to know us. But we have immense potential that just needs encouragement. If we want to compete globally, we must first build strong grassroots competition at home, starting at the school level to inspire young kids to take up the sport.”
{{/usCountry}}While the gold shines bright, she remains candid about the stark reality facing athletes like her: “Athletes from lesser-known sports in India only get recognition when we win major medals—otherwise, no one cares to know us. But we have immense potential that just needs encouragement. If we want to compete globally, we must first build strong grassroots competition at home, starting at the school level to inspire young kids to take up the sport.”
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