In 2022, during a regular class, 11-year-old Anjali Munda chose swimming as her sport of choice, inspired by her elder sister, an archer. Moving from a village in Odisha to the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) at age 10, Anjali, the youngest of four siblings, found her passion for swimming.
Anjali, now 15, won a silver medal at a local club tournament, marking the beginning of her swimming journey. Encouraged by her coaches and her success, she recently clinched a gold medal at the Khelo India Tribal Games, becoming the first female gold medallist on the opening day.
Anjali attributes her success to the Union Sports Ministry’s initiatives like the ASMITA League. Her recent victories at the Khelo India ASMITA Swimming League in Guwahati and the Khelo India Tribal Games in Raipur have further fueled her determination to excel.
Anjali aims to surpass her personal bests in upcoming events, focusing on the women’s 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 200m individual medley.
