In the bustling fish market of Mayang Imphal, amid the chatter of customers and the smell of fresh catch, a little girl once helped her father earn a living. That girl — barefoot, shy, but full of quiet determination — would one day make history for India on the world stage. Her name is Linthoi Chanambam, and her journey from the heart of Manipur to becoming a global judo sensation is nothing short of extraordinary.
A Humble Beginning
Linthoi grew up in a modest home in Mayang Imphal, a small town in Manipur. Her family’s livelihood came from selling fish, and as a child, she often joined her father at the local market. Life was simple — school in the morning, chores in the evening, and laughter with friends in between. But beneath that simplicity was a fire — a hunger to do something more, to go somewhere far beyond her little town.
Those early mornings spent helping her father taught Linthoi resilience. The fish market was noisy, chaotic, and demanding — a place where you learned the value of hard work quickly. What she didn’t know then was that this same grit would one day help her on a judo mat, thousands of miles away.
Finding Her Passion
At the age of eight, Linthoi’s life changed course. She joined a small local judo academy, almost on a whim. What began as just another after-school activity soon became something she couldn’t live without. “The first time I wore a judo uniform, I felt powerful,” she once said in an interview.
The mats became her new world — a place where she could channel her energy, test her limits, and find her own rhythm. Her coaches quickly noticed her natural instincts: sharp reflexes, focus, and a calm determination rare in someone so young. While other kids would tire out, Linthoi would stay back, perfecting her moves until her sensei told her to stop.
The Big Leap
In 2017, opportunity came knocking. Linthoi was selected to train at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary, Karnataka — a top training center where India’s future champions are shaped. Leaving her family and hometown behind at just 11 was not easy. The days at IIS were long, the training intense, and the homesickness real.
But Linthoi was not one to back down. She poured every ounce of her strength into judo. Each throw, each fall, each bruise only made her tougher. “I knew why I was there,” she said later. “I wanted to make my parents proud.”
Years of Grit and Growth
The transition from a local mat in Manipur to an international training center was massive. Linthoi trained with some of the best — waking up before sunrise, sweating through endless drills, and learning to balance both physical strength and mental discipline.
There were tough days — injuries, defeats, and moments when everything seemed too hard. But her coaches often said one thing set Linthoi apart: she never lost her smile. That same little girl who once sold fish in the market still carried that quiet spark of joy and determination wherever she went.
Creating History
In 2022, all that hard work paid off. Linthoi made history by winning India’s first-ever gold medal at the World Cadet Judo Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 57kg category bout was intense, but Linthoi fought with calm precision, defeating her opponent and making her country proud.
As the Indian flag was raised and the national anthem played, Linthoi couldn’t hold back her tears. For the first time ever, India stood on top of the judo world — and it was a young girl from a fish market in Manipur who made it happen.
Another Feather in Her Cap
Fast forward to 2025 — now 18, Linthoi once again made the nation beam with pride. She won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, another first for India. Competing against world-class athletes, she showed maturity beyond her age — proof that her journey from the cadet to the junior level was no stroke of luck.
Her performance cemented her reputation as one of India’s brightest judo talents. She wasn’t just winning medals; she was breaking barriers and inspiring thousands of young girls who now dared to dream like her.
