Raipur, March 27 (NationPress) In a remarkable performance, Karnataka has further solidified its position at the peak of the medal standings during the ongoing Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026. At the international swimming pool, the home team of Chhattisgarh celebrated its finest day yet, securing one silver and two bronze medals on Friday.

The impressive Manikanta L. spearheaded Karnataka's efforts, contributing two gold medals and one silver to his personal collection. By the end of Day 3, Karnataka had amassed a total of 13 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Odisha trails in second place with 6 gold, 2 silver, and 9 bronze, while Assam holds third with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Chhattisgarh shares the seventh spot with Tripura, each achieving six medals, consisting of three silvers and three bronzes.

For Chhattisgarh, Anushka Bhagat secured her third silver medal in the women's 50m breaststroke, while Nikhil Xalco added another bronze in the men's 50m breaststroke. Nyasa Paikra joined the podium with a bronze in the 100m butterfly.

A total of 30 states and Union Territories are competing in the inaugural KITG, featuring nearly 3,800 athletes across nine sports. There are 106 gold medals available in various disciplines including archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, with traditional sports like Mallakhamb and Kabaddi showcased as demonstration events.

After three days of fierce competition, 14 states have claimed at least one medal, and six have earned gold. Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra also celebrated their first gold medals on Friday, with Anai Wangsu winning the women’s 58kg weightlifting gold for the North Eastern state and Tanvi Dhurve triumphing in the women's 100m butterfly.

Tanvi made history by becoming the first swimmer not from Karnataka or Odisha to win gold, clocking in at 1:23.65s, nearly nine seconds ahead of Madhya Pradesh's Shristi Verma. Nyasa Paikra of Chhattisgarh completed the podium with a time of 1:47.62s.

“I’ve been swimming for eight years, inspired by my family. My father, Sukhdev, was an international open water swimmer, and my brother, Sarthak, is a national gold medallist in water polo. Winning a Khelo India medal makes me very happy,” expressed Nagpur-based Tanvi, who recently completed her 10th standard exams.

Karnataka’s Meghanjali secured her third gold medal of the Games with a time of 38.23s in the women’s 50m breaststroke, with Anushka Bhagat finishing in second at 39.57s. This marked the third time Anushka placed second in three days, but she expressed satisfaction with her overall performance.

Manikanta maintained his busy schedule, racing in multiple events and victory ceremonies, initially winning gold in the 50m breaststroke and 100m butterfly before his teammate Dhoonesh N outpaced him in the 50m freestyle, stopping the clock at 25.75s while Manikanta recorded 26.38s.

In the weightlifting arena, Anai Wangsu from Arunachal Pradesh claimed gold in the women's 58kg category with a total lift of 169 kg, while Odisha’s Bidu Smita Bhoi took gold in the women's 63kg with a total lift of 195kg.

Richin Chongruju added to Arunachal Pradesh's gold tally by winning the men’s 79kg category with a total lift of 269kg, with Mizoram's Lalfakawma and Jacob Vanlatluanga taking silver and bronze, respectively.

RESULTS

FOOTBALL

Women:

Group A: Jharkhand defeated Assam 9-1

Group B: Gujarat defeated Andhra Pradesh 25-0

SWIMMING

Women:

100m Butterfly: Gold – Tanvi Dhurve (Maharashtra) 1:23.65s; Silver – Shristi Verma (Madhya Pradesh) 1:32.94s; Bronze – Nyasa Paikra (Chhattisgarh) 1:47.62s

50m Breaststroke: Gold – Meghanjali (Karnataka) 38.23s; Silver – Anushka Bhagat (Chhattisgarh) 39.57s; Bronze – Priya Oraon (Jharkhand) 40.83s

50m Freestyle: Gold – Meghanjali (Karnataka) 31.64s; Silver – Tiluttam Jamatia (Tripura) 31.76s; Bronze – Verem Nongsiej (Meghalaya) 31.85s

Men:

100m Butterfly: Gold – Manikanta L (Karnataka) 59.94s; Silver – Firmino Emon Lalung (Assam) 1:00.46s; Bronze – Riyaj Tripura (Tripura) 1:04.02s

50m Breaststroke: Gold – Manikanta L (Karnataka) 31.08s; Silver – Palash Thakur (Maharashtra) 32.13s; Bronze – Nikhil Xalco (Chhattisgarh) 32.93s

50m Freestyle: Gold – Dhoonesh N (Karnataka) 25.75s; Silver – Manikanta L (Karnataka) 26.38s; Bronze – Firmino Emon Lalung (Assam) 26.58s

WEIGHTLIFTING

Women:

58kg: Gold – Anai Wangsu (Arunachal Pradesh) 169kg; Silver – Mina Santa (Odisha) 165kg; Bronze – Mina Singh (Odisha) 161kg

63kg: Gold – Bidu Smita Bhoi (Odisha) 195kg; Silver – Boni Mangkhya (Arunachal Pradesh) 193kg; Bronze – Dunkham Seng Turung (Assam) 161kg

Men:

71kg: Gold – Mh Silvan Beihrothatlo (Mizoram) 281kg; Silver – Manjunath Marati (Karnataka) 270kg; Bronze – Tayar Ronik (Arunachal Pradesh) 255kg

79kg: Gold – Richin Chongruju (Arunachal Pradesh); Silver – Lalfakawma (Mizoram) 265kg; Bronze – Jacob Vanlatluanga (Mizoram) 250kg.