Judo World Championships: Manipur's Linthoi Chanambam Wins India's First-ever Gold Medal

New Delhi: Linthoi Chanambam Friday won the first ever gold medal in the women's 57kg category at the Under-18 World Judo Cadet Championships held in Sarajevo on Friday.

She became the first medalist for India at the Judo World Championships as the 15-year-old judoka defeated Brazil's Bianca Reis in the final.

Manipur's Linthoi has become India's first under-18 world champion in judo. She has also been one of India's finest judokas over the years and a part of the TOPS program of the Government of India.

Notably, she came into the limelight after winning a gold medal at the Sub-Junior National Judo Championship in 2017.

"I can't describe how I feel, but I know I am very happy with this win," Linthoi said after winning the gold.

Prior to this historic victory, Linthoi had won a gold medal at the National Cadet Judo Championships in 2021. She then won a bronze medal at the Asia-Oceania Cadet Judo Championships in Beirut, Lebanon.

She was also successful in winning a gold medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships 2022.

Linthoi was born in a farmer family in Imphal, Manipur. Along with his father, his uncle was very much in love with sports which also inspired Linthoi to play the game from the very beginning. In an interview, Linthoi had told that she was treated like a boy at home.

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