Chhattisgarh women clinch football gold; Odisha, Jharkhand and Karnataka dominate athletics and archery events
TFP Bureau, Raipur, April 2, 2026: The inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 concluded on a high note in Jagdalpur, with the athletics arena at the Dharampura Sports Complex in Bastar witnessing an electrifying display of speed, stamina and strength. Over four action-packed days beginning March 30, nearly 3,800 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories competed across multiple disciplines, turning the tribal heartland of Chhattisgarh into a vibrant national sporting stage.
The final day of athletics provided a fitting climax to the Games. In the men’s 10,000 metres, Vede Tamero of Nagaland maintained a steady pace from the outset to secure the gold medal with a timing of 32:28.46. Maharashtra’s Kamlakar Laxman Deshmukh claimed silver in 32:42.29, while Hans Raj of Jammu and Kashmir took bronze with 32:54.98.
The women’s 10,000 metres saw West Bengal’s Sanjita Oraon produce a commanding performance, winning gold in 40:21.18. Sandhya Murmu of Odisha secured silver, and Balarisha Thyrniang of Meghalaya finished third to take bronze.
Sprint events added to the excitement as Jharkhand’s Shiv Kumar Soren completed a remarkable double. After earlier emerging as the fastest sprinter of the Games in the 100 metres, Soren stormed to gold in the men’s 200 metres with a timing of 21.51 seconds. Arpan Tai of Assam won silver in 22.38 seconds, while Jagdish Meena of Rajasthan secured bronze in 22.48 seconds.
In the women’s 200 metres, Karnataka’s Reethushree clinched her second gold medal of the Games, clocking 25.87 seconds. She had earlier triumphed in the 400 metres, underlining Karnataka’s dominance on the track. Jharkhand’s Anamika Oraon took silver, and Adithya K.M. of Kerala finished with bronze.
Karnataka’s Nagini also completed a golden double, winning the women’s 1500 metres in 4:43.87 after her earlier success in the 800 metres. In the men’s 1500 metres, Rahul Oraon of Jharkhand edged out the competition to take gold in 4:01.18. Maharashtra’s Kartik Kariharpal finished close behind with 4:01.23 for silver, while Manish Kumar of host state Chhattisgarh delighted the home crowd by securing bronze in 4:01.50.
The men’s 4×400 metres relay produced a dramatic finish, with Odisha claiming gold in 3:18.47. Chhattisgarh followed closely in 3:19.26 to earn silver, while Jharkhand took bronze with 3:19.62. In the women’s 4×400 metres relay, Jharkhand secured gold, ahead of Odisha and Maharashtra.
In field events, Madhya Pradesh’s Gulab Singh dominated the men’s javelin throw with a best effort of 62.80 metres to win gold. Assam’s Pramod Hagjer secured silver with 62.30 metres, and Odisha’s Somnath Singh took bronze. In the women’s long jump, Preeti Lakra of Jharkhand soared to gold with a leap of 5.54 metres. Martina Lakra of Madhya Pradesh and Mayuri Gamit of Gujarat finished second and third respectively.
Football added further drama to the closing stages of the Games. In the women’s final, host state Chhattisgarh defeated Jharkhand 1-0 in a tense encounter. Captain Kiran Pisda scored the decisive goal in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse. Backed by a large and enthusiastic home crowd, Chhattisgarh held on to its slender lead to clinch the gold medal. Jharkhand settled for silver, while Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat shared the bronze.
Speaking after the match, Kiran Pisda described the victory as a proud and emotional moment, especially as it came in front of a supportive home audience.
Archery competitions also witnessed high-level performances. In the recurve mixed team event, former World Junior Champion Komalika Bari teamed up with Krishna Pingua to secure gold for Jharkhand, defeating Odisha in the final. In compound events, Maharashtra’s Harshvardhan Ingle won gold in the men’s individual category and later combined with Vaishnavi Pardeshi to claim the compound mixed team title. Meghalaya emerged victorious in both men’s and women’s compound team events, while Andhra Pradesh’s Priya Banawat took gold in the women’s compound individual competition.
As the Games drew to a close, the medal tally reflected intense competition among leading states. Karnataka finished at the top with 23 gold medals, along with eight silver and seven bronze. Odisha secured second position with 20 gold, 13 silver and 21 bronze medals. Jharkhand placed third with 14 gold, seven silver and 11 bronze medals. Maharashtra climbed to fourth position with six gold medals, while the host state Chhattisgarh improved its standing to ninth place with three gold, nine silver and six bronze medals.
The closing ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, District Panchayat Sports and Youth Committee Chairman Banwasi Maurya, Bastar Commissioner Doman Singh, Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P, Collector Akash Chhikara and Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha. The guests felicitated medal winners and praised the athletes for their spirited performances.
Featuring seven competitive sports — athletics, archery, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling — along with Mallakhamb and Kabaddi as demonstration events, the Khelo India Tribal Games have provided an unprecedented national platform for tribal athletes. Beyond the medal count, the Games have been hailed as a milestone in promoting sports culture in Bastar and highlighting the immense talent emerging from tribal regions across the country.
