Raipur, March 26 (NationPress) In 2022, during a typical classroom session, when a sports instructor prompted students to select various sports, 11-year-old Anjali Munda timidly raised her hand and opted for swimming, the only activity she was familiar with.

Anjali hails from Gahiragadiya village in Jajpur district, Odisha, located roughly 100 kilometers from Bhubaneswar. While she regarded swimming as merely a playful endeavor involving splashing water, she had never undergone any formal training.

The youngest of four siblings, Anjali's father works as a van driver at a local factory. At the age of 10, she transitioned to the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), where tribal students from all over the state receive complimentary education and housing. Her initial motivation stemmed from her elder sister, who was an archer.

When the chance presented itself, Anjali chose swimming as her sport, relying on her natural comfort in the water. Although it took her some time to build the confidence to compete, she made significant progress, winning a silver medal at a local club tournament a year later.

“That silver medal was the first of my life, and it holds a special place in my heart. It instilled confidence in me that I could excel in this sport. I owe a debt of gratitude to my coaches for their unwavering support and the effort they invested in my training,” expressed the now 15-year-old Anjali, who made history as the first female gold medallist on the inaugural day of the Khelo India Tribal Games held here on Wednesday.

In fact, had Anjali not finished with a time of 2:39:02 to secure gold in the 200m freestyle event, Karnataka, a dominant force in Indian swimming, would have claimed all six gold medals available on that day.

Anjali attributes her success to the focused initiatives of the Union Sports Ministry, including the ASMITA League (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action).

“In 2024, I secured two silver medals in the Khelo India ASMITA League held in Sambalpur. I was incredibly close to the podium in the other two events. Those medals further boosted my confidence, making me believe I could perform well in larger competitions,” she elaborated.

Anjali continued to shine at the recent Khelo India ASMITA (U-15 & U-18) Swimming League (East Zone) on March 21 and 22 in Guwahati, where she claimed a couple of silver medals.

Shortly after, she carried that momentum into her remarkable performance at the first Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur, ultimately earning her first national gold medal. Despite this monumental achievement, the young athlete admitted that she was not entirely satisfied with her performance, as she aspired to surpass her personal best of 2:25.

Now, Anjali is focused on breaking her personal records in upcoming events, particularly in the women’s 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 200m individual medley.