Nineteen-year-old weightlifter Monikha Sonowal from Assam scripted an inspiring victory by clinching the gold medal in the women’s 48kg category at the first Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG)-2026 in Chhattisgarh, overcoming a persistent knee injury to secure the top podium finish. Moments after her triumph, Monikha tried calling her father, Padmadhar Sonowal, a mason who works long hours at construction sites to support the family.

 

“Perhaps he’s busy at the construction site,” she said with a smile, expressing her eagerness to share the achievement with her biggest supporter. Hailing from Batghoria Penbeni Chowk in Assam’s Dhemaji district, located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river about 425 km from Guwahati, Monikha represents a small rural background where sporting opportunities are limited. However, her passion for weightlifting grew steadily despite resource constraints, inspired by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu from neighbouring Manipur. Her journey took a major step forward two years ago when she joined the

 

Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Itanagar. There, she received structured training, nutritional support and injury management facilities that helped shape her competitive performance. Monikha’s progress has been consistent in recent years. She won gold at the School Nationals in 2023, secured silver at the Khelo India ASMITA League in Sambalpur in 2024, and earned bronze at the State Championships in Tezpur in 2025. She also finished eighth at the Inter-University Championships in Chandigarh. Despite suffering a right knee injury during training three months ago, Monikha chose to compete at the Tribal Games against her coaches’ advice. “Opportunities like the Khelo India Tribal Games don’t come often. I didn’t want to miss competing on such a big stage,” she said. Currently