Shillong/Nongpoh: The tragic death of Retina Hanse (23) in a road accident on Saturday morning has sent shockwaves across Ri Bhoi District and the state of Meghalaya, with many mourning the loss of a promising young athlete who had brought pride to the state in several national and regional competitions.
Retina Hanse, a resident of Khamar village in Ri Bhoi, was a talented sportsperson who represented Meghalaya in 400m, 800m and long jump events. Over the years, she won numerous medals for both the district and the state in various athletics competitions held within and outside Meghalaya.
One of her most notable achievements came in 2017, when she won a gold medal in the 800m race (Under-16 category) at the 29th East Zone Junior Athletics Championship in Kolkata, becoming the first athlete from Meghalaya to win a medal at the junior level in that championship.
Retina also secured gold and bronze medals in the 4x400m mixed relay in the Under-20 category, and later won a bronze medal in the senior 4x400m mixed relay at the 2nd North East Olympic Games held in Shillong in 2022.
In 2025, she competed at the All India Inter SAI Athletics Championship in Patiala, where she claimed two silver medals in the 200m and 400m races and a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay in the Under-23 category.
Throughout her career, Retina participated in numerous competitions including the State Level Inter-School Athletics Meet, District Inter-School Athletic Meets, the 3rd North East Games, and the 4th, 5th and 6th Meghalaya Games, consistently bringing laurels to the state and her district.
She had been training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Shillong and was also part of coaching camps under the Meghalaya Athletics Association, preparing to compete in the 39th National Games scheduled for 2027.
However, her promising sporting journey was tragically cut short when she lost her life in a road accident at Sumer, where the scooter she was travelling on, driven by her brother, collided with a truck.
Her untimely demise has left the sporting community and residents of Ri Bhoi deeply saddened, remembering her as a dedicated athlete with immense potential who had already achieved significant milestones at a young age.
