Monikha Sonowal Shines with Gold at Khelo India Tribal Games 2026

A Dream Realized in Raipur

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 27: "Maybe he’s busy at work," Monikha Sonowal joked as she attempted to reach her father once more.

Just moments before, Monikha had secured the gold medal in the women’s 48kg weightlifting category during the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur. She was eager to share this achievement with her father, Padmadhar Sonowal, a mason who dedicates long hours at construction sites to support their family of four and has been Monikha's greatest supporter throughout her athletic journey.

As the elder sibling, Monikha comes from Batghoria Penbeni Chowk, a small and often overlooked area in Assam’s Dhemaji district, located about 425 kilometers from Guwahati. Life in this village is slow-paced, and for many families, aspirations rarely extend beyond daily responsibilities and making a living, as noted in a press release from the KITG 2026.

However, for Monikha, the clanging of barbells in a weightlifting gym became the backdrop to a dream that was destined to grow. Despite facing resource limitations, her initial curiosity about the sport blossomed into a fervent passion, inspired by the achievements of Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu from nearby Manipur.

On Thursday, her dream culminated in a moment of national pride as she overcame a knee injury to win the first weightlifting gold medal of the Games, a testament to her dedication since she began training a few years back.

A significant milestone in her journey occurred two years ago when she became a part of the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Itanagar. "The NCOE Itanagar provided me with everything an athlete from a small village could only dream of—proper training, nutrition, guidance, and injury management. Without that support, achieving this level would have been incredibly challenging," Monikha, a member of the Kachari Tribe, expressed.

Her progress has been consistent. Monikha clinched gold at the School Nationals in 2023, followed by a silver at the Khelo India ASMITA League in Sambalpur, Odisha, in 2024. In 2025, she earned a bronze at the State Championships in Tezpur and placed eighth at the Inter-University Championships in Chandigarh.

However, the path to her recent victory was fraught with challenges. For the past three months, Monikha, a second-semester BA student at Dhemaji City College, had been dealing with a right knee injury sustained during training.

Her coaches expressed concern about worsening the injury and suggested she sit out the Khelo India Tribal Games. Nevertheless, the 19-year-old weightlifter felt compelled to compete despite the pain.

"My coaches were worried about my knee and advised me to rest," she recalled. "But opportunities like the Khelo India Tribal Games are rare. I didn’t want to miss the chance to compete on such a significant platform.

"I aspire to keep improving and represent India one day. This gold is just the beginning," Monikha concluded.