Mason’s Daughter Monikha Sonowal Overcomes Pain and Doubt to Win KITG Weightlifting Gold

Raipur, March 2026: Monikha Sonowal, the daughter of a mason, overcame pain and self-doubt to win the gold medal in weightlifting at the Khelo India Tribal Games.

“Maybe he is busy at the construction site right now,” Monikha said with a smile as she tried to call her father. Just moments earlier, the 19-year-old had clinched gold in the women’s 48 kg weightlifting category at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 and wanted to share the good news with him.

Her father, Padmdhar Sonowal, works as a mason and toils hard every day to support a family of four. He has always been her biggest source of strength throughout her sporting journey.

The elder of two sisters, Monikha hails from Batghoria Penbeni Chowk in Dhemaji district of Assam. Located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River, this quiet region lies about 425 km from Guwahati. Life here is simple and modest, where most families’ aspirations are limited to daily needs.

However, for Monikha, the sound of barbells in a weightlifting hall marked the beginning of a dream that refused to be confined by circumstances. Despite limited resources, her curiosity for the sport gradually turned into passion, inspired by Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu from neighbouring Manipur.

That dream turned into reality on Thursday when Monikha, despite battling a knee injury, fought through the pain to win the first weightlifting gold of the Games. The victory was the result of years of hard work and determination.

A major turning point in her journey came two years ago when she joined the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Itanagar. Belonging to the Kachari tribe, Monikha said, “NCOE Itanagar gave me everything that an athlete from a small village like mine could only dream of—better training, nutrition, guidance, and injury recovery support. Without this, reaching here would have been very difficult.”

Her progress has been steady since then. In 2023, she won gold at the School Nationals. In 2024, she secured a silver medal at the Khelo India Asmita League in Sambalpur, Odisha. In 2025, she earned a bronze at the State Championship in Tezpur and finished eighth at the Inter-University Championship in Chandigarh.

Her journey, however, was not without challenges. For the past three months, Monikha had been struggling with a right knee injury sustained during training.

Given the injury, her coaches had advised her to skip the Khelo India Tribal Games. But the 19-year-old refused to let the opportunity slip away and chose to compete despite the pain.

“My coaches were worried about my knee and suggested rest. But opportunities like the Khelo India Tribal Games don’t come often. I didn’t want to miss the chance to compete on such a big stage,” she said.

“I want to keep improving and one day represent India. This gold is just the beginning,” she added.