Raipur, March 27: Karnataka has emerged as the first state to win over ten gold medals at the Khelo India Tribal Games, showcasing an impressive performance on the third day of the event held at the International Swimming Pool. The host state, Chhattisgarh, also had a remarkable day, securing one silver and two bronze medals.
Swimmer Manikant L. led the Karnataka team once again, adding two gold and one silver medal to his tally. By the end of the day, Karnataka had accumulated a total of 13 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Odisha secured the second position with 6 gold, 2 silver, and 9 bronze medals, while Assam claimed third place with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Chhattisgarh and Tripura are tied for seventh place, each with six medals, comprising three silver and three bronze.
For Chhattisgarh, Anushka Bhagat won her third silver medal in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke event. Nikhil Jalko earned his second bronze medal in the men’s 50-meter breaststroke, while Nyasa Pakra secured bronze in the 100-meter butterfly, becoming the third athlete from Chhattisgarh to reach the podium.
The inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games features participation from 30 states and Union Territories, with approximately 3,800 athletes competing in nine different sports. A total of 106 gold medals are at stake across events including archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, along with traditional sports like Mallakhamb and Kabaddi.
After three days of competition, 14 states have won at least one medal, with six states having claimed at least one gold medal. Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra opened their gold medal accounts on Friday. Anai Wangsu from Arunachal Pradesh won gold in the women’s 58 kg weightlifting category, while Tanvi Dhurve from Maharashtra topped the women’s 100-meter butterfly event. Tanvi became the first swimmer not from Karnataka or Odisha to achieve this feat, finishing with a time of 1:23.65, nearly nine seconds ahead of Madhya Pradesh’s Srishti Verma, who took second place. Nyasa Pakra from Chhattisgarh finished third with a time of 1:47.62.
Recently completing her 10th-grade exams, Tanvi expressed her joy, saying, “I have been swimming for the past eight years, inspired by my family. My father, Sukdev, was an international open water swimmer, and my brother, Sarthak, is a national gold medalist in water polo. I am thrilled to have won a medal at ‘Khelo India.’”
Karnataka’s Meghanjali secured her third gold medal in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 38.23 seconds, while Anushka Bhagat finished second at 39.57 seconds, marking the third consecutive time she missed out on the top spot.
In the men’s events, Manikant started the day by winning gold in both the 50-meter breaststroke and 100-meter butterfly. However, in the final race of the day, his teammate Dhunesh N. outpaced him in the 50-meter freestyle, clocking 25.75 seconds, while Manikant finished at 26.38 seconds.
In the weightlifting competition, Anai Wangsu from Arunachal Pradesh lifted a total of 169 kg to win gold in the women’s 58 kg category, while Odisha’s Bidu Smita Bhoi secured gold in the women’s 63 kg category with a total lift of 195 kg. Following this, Richin Chongruju doubled Arunachal Pradesh’s gold count by lifting a total of 269 kg in the men’s 79 kg category. Mizoram won silver and bronze medals in the same event.