Imphal, Jan 9: Nineteen-year-old Wahengbam Sudhir Meetei has etched his name into Manipur’s sporting history by winning the state’s first-ever gold medal in Pencak Silat at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026, an achievement shaped as much by resilience as by skill. His triumph came after years marked by financial hardship, academic sacrifice and a serious injury that once threatened to end his career altogether.
Sudhir’s journey to the top has been far from smooth. Growing up in a modest household, he was forced to juggle training with work to support his family. His father runs a small livestock business, while Sudhir earns around ₹500 a day working as a welder and also helps sell pigs to make ends meet. The financial strain became so severe that he had to discontinue his Bachelor of Physical Education course after being unable to pay his fifth-semester fees, choosing instead to prioritise household needs and his younger brothers’ education and training.
His challenges intensified when a training accident caused a serious injury to his toe, nearly derailing his progress in the combat-oriented Tanding category. The injury, caused when his foot got stuck in a hole due to the absence of proper mat flooring at his academy, forced him to rethink his future in the sport. Determined not to quit, Sudhir made a difficult but decisive shift to the Artistic category, quietly rebuilding his career over the next two years.
Training at the Nawang Sports Academy in Imphal, Sudhir had taken up Pencak Silat in 2018, inspired by senior athletes. Before the injury, he had already made his mark with gold medals at junior national championships in different Tanding weight categories and a silver medal at the 2022 Northeast Games. His transition to Artistic events proved successful, as he went on to win gold in the Ganda category at the All India National Championships in Lucknow, followed by a fourth-place finish at the Asian Pencak Silat Championship in Vietnam.
The breakthrough moment arrived at the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu, where Sudhir partnered with Premchandra Yengkhom to clinch gold in Ganda. Competing on sand posed a fresh challenge, demanding balance and control on an unfamiliar surface. Sudhir later described the final as mentally exhausting, weighed down by thoughts of the promises he had made to his parents and the years of struggle behind him. Winning the gold, he said, made every sacrifice worthwhile.
Calling the Khelo India Beach Games the toughest competition of his career so far, Sudhir said the platform itself carried special significance. Returning home with a gold medal, he added, was not just a personal victory but a moment of pride for his family and for Manipur, symbolising what determination and perseverance can achieve even in the face of overwhelming odds.
