Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Tura Motor Sports Club honored rally driver Aneesh M. Sangma this week. Sangma claimed the X3 Extreme category win at the 2026 Rally of the Himalayas, finishing fifth overall. He took on the brutal high-altitude terrain of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh from September 26 to 30. He drove car No. 112 with co-driver Goutham CP. They tackled the punishing 16,580-foot Shinku La Pass. Sangma is the first driver from Garo Hills to race in this competition.
His momentum is building. In July 2025, he and co-driver Dinky Varghese won the Gypsy category at the Indian National Rally Championship in Coimbatore. That victory was a first for the Tura Motor Sports Club. They repeated that success in November 2025 at the Blueband Robusta Rally in Coorg, Karnataka, locking in Sangma’s second National Champion title of the year. He credits his rise to grit and the backing of his home club.
"Their help has been immense and without their support it would have been a more difficult journey," Sangma said. He thanked Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Public Health Engineering Minister Marcuise N. Marak, the state sports minister, and Tura MP James Sangma. The race conditions tested his limits. "We woke up at 3 AM and reported at 4:30 AM in freezing conditions. The race required not only us keeping healthy but also to ensure a healthy engine. It was a tough race and I am glad that I took the podium and made our state proud," he noted.
Sangma is now eyeing the international circuit. He will race in Thailand this November. He remains convinced that local talent from Meghalaya can push the sport forward. The Tura Motor Sports Club continues to push local racers into national events. This milestone should fuel the ambitions of drivers across the Garo Hills.
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