India, Aug. 15 -- Ariha Pangambam made history on Friday in the Philippines by becoming the first Indian to win a senior women's individual gold medal at the 10th Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. For the 22-year-old from Khongman Zone in Imphal, Manipur, the podium finish was a dream come true: "I missed out on a medal in 2024, so I told my parents that I would win one next time. The win coming days ahead of Independence Day makes it more special. Standing on the podium with the National Anthem playing, I was in tears." Yet, the journey to the podium was not smooth for Pangamban. The actual competition surface is wooden with double flex and only one proper aerobic gymnastics with such floor exists in India, that too in Uttarakhand. Thus, the athlete didn't get to train much on it. "I kept slipping on elements I was usually most confident about and couldn't sleep the night before the competition. But on competition day, I thought about my parents, my coaches, and their endless support and then nothing could stop me," she says, crediting her parent's sacrifices which helped her live a moment like this. While she enjoys the win, Pangambam remains aware about the reality: "Athletes from lesser-known sports in India only get recognition when we win major medals, otherwise, no one cares to know us. But we have immense potential that just needs encouragement."...