Khelo India Tribal Games 2026: Arunachal's Anai Wangsu Clinches Weightlifting Gold Despite Illness

Raipur, March 28: Arunachal Pradesh lifter Anai Wangsu won gold at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur. She topped the women’s 58kg category. The 21-year-old competed days after hospitalisation for a chronic gastric issue. Doctors put her on intravenous fluids.

Anai has lived with this illness since 2019. It flares without warning and brings weakness, dehydration, and heavy fatigue. These problems hit just before her Raipur flight. She left hospital and returned to training the very next day, determined to compete.

From near misses to first major gold medal

Before this win, Anai had only bronze and silver medals. She earned two bronze medals at youth nationals. She then claimed silver at different Khelo India events, including the Khelo India University Games in Rajasthan in 2025. Gold always stayed just beyond reach.

At the All India University nationals last year, she lost gold by one lift. Her time ran out at the one-minute mark. That miss hurt deeply. “I cried a lot that day. It felt like my hard work wasted,” she recalled.

Family support and start in weightlifting

Anai belongs to the Wangcho tribe. Her elder brother, former national lifter Sinchad Bansu, now serves with Arunachal Pradesh Police. He took her to the Sports Authority of India centre in Itanagar for trials. He hoped she might achieve what he could not.

At the SAI hall, boxing and weightlifting shared space. The Mary Kom movie had just released, and Anai wanted boxing. Her brother urged her to pick weightlifting instead. She listened, started training seriously, and soon gained selection for NCOE, Lucknow, for advanced coaching.

The COVID pandemic forced her return to Arunachal Pradesh. There, lack of proper nutrition and training support worsened her stomach issues. The gastric problem has grown stronger over time. It still strikes randomly and leaves her drained during crucial training periods.

Gold in Raipur changes her belief

Anai said her family often asked about a gold medal. “Now, everyone is happy that I have finally achieved that goal,” she told SAI Media. She added that this gold has restored belief that her constant hard work still matters.