Nineteen-year-old Monikha Sonowal from Assam has scripted an inspiring story of grit and determination by clinching gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting category at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur.
Battling a knee injury and self-doubt, Monikha chose to compete despite being advised by her coaches to skip the event. Her decision paid off as she secured the first weightlifting gold of the Games.
Hailing from Batghoria Penbeni Chowk in Dhemaji district, she comes from a modest background. Her father, Padmadhar Sonowal, works as a mason and has been her strongest pillar of support. Moments after her victory, she tried calling him to share the news, but he was likely busy at a construction site.
Growing up in a small village along the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Monikha’s journey has been far from easy. With limited resources, her interest in weightlifting gradually turned into a passion, inspired by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.
A major turning point came when she joined the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Itanagar two years ago. There, she received structured training, proper nutrition, and guidance that helped shape her career.
“The NCOE gave me everything an athlete from a small village like mine could only dream of,” Monikha said.
Her rise in the sport has been steady. She won gold at the School Nationals in 2023, followed by a silver at the Khelo India ASMITA League in 2024. In 2025, she secured a bronze at the State Championships and finished eighth at the Inter-University Championships.
However, the road to her latest triumph was not without challenges. For the past three months, Monikha had been dealing with a right knee injury sustained during training. Despite concerns from her coaches, she chose to push through the pain.
“My coaches advised me to rest, but opportunities like this don’t come often. I didn’t want to miss it,” she said.
Currently a second-semester BA student at Dhemaji City College, Monikha has now set her sights on bigger goals.
“I want to keep improving and represent India one day. This gold is just the beginning,” she added.
