Ukhrul: Manipur’s mountain biking sensation, Khariksing Adonis Tangpu, has secured another silver medal for the state in the Men’s Cross-Country Time Trial (XCT) competition at an MTB cycling event held in Garutal, Sattal, Uttarakhand, on Monday. The 23-year-old cyclist from Ukhrul clocked 44:07.348 minutes to earn the 13th silver medal for Manipur in the ongoing National Games. The gold medal in the event was won by Services rider Khushiman Gharti, who finished with a time of 42:56.221 minutes, while his teammate Kamlesh Rana claimed the bronze, clocking 44:55.251 minutes.
Adonis had recently secured a silver medal in the Men’s Elite XCO (Time Trial) event at the 20th National Mountain Biking Championship. His continued success has been widely acknowledged, with the President of the Manipur Adventure and Mountain Biking Association (MAAMBA), Dr. Ng Arunkumar, expressing his delight over the cyclist’s performance. Dr. Arunkumar stated that Adonis has shown remarkable improvement compared to last year and secured silver in the Elite Men’s XCT at the 38th National Games, having previously won bronze in the same event at the National Championships.
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Notably, Adonis, along with fellow Manipuri cyclist Khundrakpam Ronel Singh, has made history as the first mountain bike riders from Manipur to qualify and participate in the MTB competition at the National Games. Ronel, who previously won a gold medal in the U-23 XCO event, is also set to compete in another MTB event on February 12.
Adonis Tangpu has represented India in multiple international competitions, including the Asian Mountain Bike Championships and UCI events across Asia and Europe. His notable achievements include representing India in the 2019 Asian Mountain Bike Championship in Lebanon, finishing 15th in the Junior category. He participated in the 2020 Asian Mountain Bike Championship in Thailand and secured the 6th position in the Junior category. In the 2022 Asian Mountain Bike Championship held in South Korea, he finished 13th in the Under-23 category. Additionally, he competed in UCI Velo Alanya MTB CUP in Turkey in 2022, securing 16th (XCO) and 13th (XCC) positions. He participated in the 2023 Asian Mountain Bike Championship in Kerala, India, finishing 20th in the XCE event, and in the 2024 Asian Mountain Bike Championship in Malaysia, securing the 16th position.
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On the domestic front, Adonis has been a dominant force in national MTB championships, winning multiple gold medals. He won two gold medals in the 15th National MTB Championship in 2018 (Pune, Maharashtra) in the XCO and XCT events (Under-16). In the 16th National MTB Championship (2019-2020) held in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, he secured two gold medals in XCO and XCT (Under-18). In the 17th National MTB Championship (2020-2021) in Gadag, Karnataka, he bagged three gold medals in XCO, XCT, and Mixed Relay (Under-18) and was awarded the Best Cyclist Award. The 18th National MTB Championship in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2021 saw him clinch two gold medals and one bronze in XCO and XCT (Elite Men and Under-23). In the 20th National MTB Championship in Panchkula, Haryana, in 2024, he won one silver (XCO) and one bronze (XCT) in the Elite Men category.