- 15-year-old Anjali becomes the first female gold medalist at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026
- A simple decision in the classroom became the foundation of success
- Focus on improving personal best in upcoming competitions
Sometimes a small decision can change the course of life. The story of 15-year-old Anjali Munda from Odisha is similar. During her 2022 sports selection, she chose swimming—a sport she knew only as a pastime at the time. Today, that decision has led her to a historic achievement at the national level.
Anjali, a resident of Gahiragaria village in Odisha’s Jajpur district, clocked 2:39.02 seconds to win the gold medal in the 200m freestyle event at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur, becoming the first female gold medalist at the event.
Coming from a humble background, Anjali is the youngest of four siblings. Her father is a van driver at a local factory. At the age of 10, she joined the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, where she received free education and training. This laid the foundation for her athletic career.
Initially inspired by her older sister, who is active in archery, Anjali chose swimming as her path. Her hard work soon paid off, and within a year of starting swimming, she showcased her talent by winning a silver medal at a local competition.
Anjali credits her success to her coaches and the Sports Ministry’s ‘Asmita League’ initiative. She won two silver medals at the 2024 Asmita Swimming League in Sambalpur, boosting her confidence. She then won two silver medals at the Asmita Swimming League (East Zone) in Guwahati.
However, despite this achievement, Anjali is not satisfied. Her goal is to improve her personal best time of 2:25. Despite constant travel and fatigue, she impressed everyone with her performance.
Anjali is now eyeing the upcoming events – 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley – where she will aim to improve her performance further.
This success of Anjali Munda is not only the result of her hard work but also shows how talent can reach new heights when given the right opportunity and guidance.