Shillong racer Phoebe Nongrum to represent India at Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship in Uzbekistan

Shillong-based racer Phoebe Dale Nongrum will represent India at Round 2 of the 2026 Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from September 4 to 6.

Nongrum is part of a five-member Indian contingent competing in the international championship. Her participation also marks the first time a racer from Meghalaya and the North-East will represent the region at an international auto gymkhana competition.

The championship tests drivers on technical courses involving tight turns, manoeuvres and obstacles, with an emphasis on precision, vehicle control, reaction time and consistency. Unlike circuit racing and cross-country rallying, auto gymkhana requires drivers to complete a highly technical course quickly while maintaining accuracy.

Nongrum, a full-time motorsport athlete since 2023, has competed across circuit racing and rallying. She became the first female Formula 4 driver from Meghalaya and the North-East, competing in the JK Tyre Formula 4 championship with Ahura Racing in 2020 and 2021.

She later moved into national rallying, finishing as runner-up in the women’s category of the Indian National Rally Championship in both 2024 and 2025.

Her 2025 season included three podium finishes at the Dakshin Dare Cross Country Rally. She won the Ladies category, finished third in the T1 Modified Car category and secured a top-four overall finish.

She also finished third in the T1 Xtreme category at the Rally of the Himalayas and received the Best Team award with her co-driver.

The Uzbekistan round presents a different challenge for Nongrum, whose previous competitions have largely involved circuit racing and cross-country rallying. Auto gymkhana places greater emphasis on rapid decision-making, precision and executing a sequence of manoeuvres accurately under time pressure.

The 2026 championship began with its first round at the Sokol International Circuit in the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan region. After the Uzbekistan round, the championship is scheduled to continue with rounds in Hong Kong, Thailand, India and Chinese Taipei.

Nongrum's selection adds another international chapter to her career while putting Meghalaya's growing motorsport presence on a wider platform.