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.”
I finally switched to aerobic gymnastics in 2015, and it became my whole world. 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. 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.”
