Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Ariha Pangambam made history on August 7, 2026. She became the first Indian to win a senior women's individual gold medal at the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. The event took place in Tagaytay City, Philippines, running from August 4 through August 7. The 22-year-old athlete dominated the field with a total score of 19.100 points.
Her final tally broke down into 8.650 for artistry, 7.600 for execution, and 2.850 for difficulty. This victory follows two frustrating fourth-place finishes in 2022 and 2024. Pangambam is a multiple-time national champion who secured gold at the 2023 and 2025 National Games. She previously claimed gold at the 2017 National Championship and took third place at the 2018 Asia Cup in Mongolia. Her international career began in 2016 at the World Championship in Incheon, Korea, while she was still a student at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Imphal.
Gymnastics Federation of India president Sudhir Mital celebrated the win. "A great achievement for us. Did very well. Kudos to her and her coach," he said. Her coach is Yumnam Ranjan Singh.
The competition featured athletes from twelve nations. Participants arrived from Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the host nation, the Philippines. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh took to Facebook to praise the gymnast. He called the win a source of immense pride for the entire nation and wished her a bright future.
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