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Anai, who suffers from a chronic gastric issue that flares up anytime, comfortably won the gold medal in KITG 2026 in women’s 58kg category with a resolute showing.
Anai Wangsu.
Weightlifting is a game of pure physical dominance, but Anai Wangsu’s toughest opponent isn’t on the leaderboard—it’s her own health.
Just days before the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games in Raipur, Arunachal weightlifter Anai Wangsu found herself in a hospital bed rather than on the platform. A flare-up of a chronic gastric condition is a battle she has fought since 2019 which left her dependent on IV fluids to regain basic strength. For a 21-year-old in a sport where explosive power and balance are everything, the sudden onset of dehydration and fatigue was a devastating blow to her preparations.
Anai wasted no time: the very next day after leaving the hospital, she returned to the training hall. Driven by a hunger to break her cycle of near-podium finishes, she traded her IV drip for a barbell, determined to turn her luck around.
“I had won bronze and silver medals in the past and everyone in my family kept asking me when I will win a gold. Now, everyone is happy that I have finally achieved that goal,” Anai said after grabbing the women’s 58kg gold here.
For Anai Wangsu, gold has always been the ‘one that got away.’ Despite a consistent run of success, earning bronze at the Youth Nationals and silver at the 2025 Khelo India University Games—the ultimate prize stayed just out of reach. That frustration peaked at last year’s All India University Nationals, where a cruel twist of timing saw her miss out on gold by a single lift simply because the clock struck zero. It’s a memory that has fuelled her fire ever since.
“I cried a lot that day. It felt like all my hard work had gone to waste,” she recalled. Belonging to the Wangcho tribe, Anai’s journey in weightlifting was driven by her elder brother Sinchad Bansu’s dream, who is himself a former national-level weightlifter working with Arunachal Pradesh Police force.
Anai’s journey into weightlifting didn’t start with a spark, but with a brother’s guidance. Sinchad led her to the SAI trials in Itanagar, steering her toward the path he could never complete. While she was indifferent at first, the rhythmic pull of the bar eventually took hold; the sport ceased to be a chore and became her life’s singular goal.
“The weightlifting and boxing arenas were in the same hall at the SAI Centre. It was also the time when Mary Kom movie was released, and I felt I wanted to become a boxer. But my brother talked me out of it and helped me focus on weightlifting,” said Anai, who was soon selected to join NCOE, Lucknow for advanced training.
However, the COVID pandemic meant that she had to return to Arunachal Pradesh where lack of proper nutrition and resources led to gastric problems that has only aggravated over the years.
“I work very hard, but sometimes my health suddenly deteriorates. I don’t understand why my body stops supporting me,” Anai said, adding the gold medal here has given me the confidence that all that hard work isn’t going in vain.
Raipur, India, India
March 28, 2026, 5:31 PM IST
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