Gymnastics
Ariha Pangambam scripts history with India's first Asian aerobic gymnastics gold
The continental event, sanctioned by the Asian Gymnastics Union, brought together more than 400 athletes and officials from 11 countries.
Ariha Pangambam (Photo credit: Ivan Ferreira)
India's Ariha Pangambam created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in the senior women's individual event at the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships, held in Tagaytay City, Philippines, from August 4 to 7.
Competing in the Senior Women's Individual final, she scored 19.100 points to secure first place, earning 8.650 for artistry, 7.600 for execution and 2.850 for difficulty.
This marks the first ever Senior Gold won by an Indian at the continental championships.
"A great achievement for us. Did very well. Kudos to her and her coach," Gymnastic Federation of India president Sudhir Mital said to PTI.
Ariha clinched the title by outscoring her closest rivals, Kanokpit Mali of Thailand and Mahiro Kishibe of Japan, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The continental event, sanctioned by the Asian Gymnastics Union, brought together more than 400 athletes and officials from 11 countries.
Hailing from Imphal, Manipur, she trained under her coach Yumnam Ranjan Singh , rising through the ranks at international competitions.
Ariha has represented India in multiple International Championships, with her notable wins being bronze at the Asian Cup and gold in the National Games in 2023 and 2025.
She also contested at international platforms like the FIG Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships, the Suzuki World Cup in Japan.
Ariha finished fourth at the Asian Championships in both 2022 and 2024, sealing this 2026 victory as a testament to her hard work. She is currently pursuing sports leadership studies at AISTS India.