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<\/p>\nTFP 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.<\/p>\n
The final day of athletics provided a fitting climax to the Games. In the men\u2019s 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\u2019s Kamlakar Laxman Deshmukh claimed silver in 32:42.29, while Hans Raj of Jammu and Kashmir took bronze with 32:54.98.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s 10,000 metres saw West Bengal\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Sprint events added to the excitement as Jharkhand\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s 200 metres, Karnataka\u2019s Reethushree clinched her second gold medal of the Games, clocking 25.87 seconds. She had earlier triumphed in the 400 metres, underlining Karnataka\u2019s dominance on the track. Jharkhand\u2019s Anamika Oraon took silver, and Adithya K.M. of Kerala finished with bronze.<\/p>\n
Karnataka\u2019s Nagini also completed a golden double, winning the women\u2019s 1500 metres in 4:43.87 after her earlier success in the 800 metres. In the men\u2019s 1500 metres, Rahul Oraon of Jharkhand edged out the competition to take gold in 4:01.18. Maharashtra\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s 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\u2019s 4×400 metres relay, Jharkhand secured gold, ahead of Odisha and Maharashtra.<\/p>\n
In field events, Madhya Pradesh\u2019s Gulab Singh dominated the men\u2019s javelin throw with a best effort of 62.80 metres to win gold. Assam\u2019s Pramod Hagjer secured silver with 62.30 metres, and Odisha\u2019s Somnath Singh took bronze. In the women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Football added further drama to the closing stages of the Games. In the women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Harshvardhan Ingle won gold in the men\u2019s individual category and later combined with Vaishnavi Pardeshi to claim the compound mixed team title. Meghalaya emerged victorious in both men\u2019s and women\u2019s compound team events, while Andhra Pradesh\u2019s Priya Banawat took gold in the women\u2019s compound individual competition.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thefrontpage24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daed47aa-c80b-451b-ae30-bc71ad1e6e45-1024x682.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Featuring seven competitive sports \u2014 athletics, archery, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling \u2014 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chhattisgarh women clinch football gold; Odisha, Jharkhand and Karnataka dominate athletics and archery events<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,118,117],"tags":[1014],"class_list":["post-6686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-chhattishgarh","category-state","tag-khelo-india-tribal-games-2026"],"yoast_head":"\n