Raipur, April 3 (NationPress) Former world junior champion Komalika Bari from Jharkhand secured the gold medal in the recurve women’s archery event, adding to her mixed triumph. Meanwhile, Arjun Khara of Odisha triumphed in the recurve men’s category, but these achievements were not enough to displace Karnataka from the top position in the final medals tally on the concluding day of the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games held here on Friday.

A total of 30 states and union territories participated in this inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games, showcasing approximately 3800 participants competing across nine sports disciplines. An impressive 106 gold medals were available in various sports, including archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, while traditional sports such as Mallakhamb and Kabaddi served as demonstration events.

Of the 106 gold medals, Karnataka emerged with 23, in addition to 8 silver and 7 bronze medals, securing the title of overall champions. Odisha followed closely, finishing second with 21 gold, 15 silver, and 21 bronze medals, becoming the only state to surpass a total of 50 medals, concluding with 57 overall. Jharkhand claimed third place with 16 gold, 8 silver, and 11 bronze medals.

The host state, Chhattisgarh, showcased significant sporting talent from the tribal community, finishing ninth with 3 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals. Their last medal was a silver in men’s football on Saturday, where they faced a defeat of 0-1 against West Bengal in the final.

Overall champions Karnataka led the medal tally from the very first day, particularly excelling in swimming events where they won 15 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze medals. They further secured 5 gold medals in athletics and 3 in wrestling, ensuring that neither Odisha nor Jharkhand could catch up.

Manikanta L from Karnataka stood out as the most successful athlete of the Games, amassing 8 gold and one silver, while his teammate Dhoneesh N earned five gold and one silver in the swimming competitions. Among the female competitors, Anjali Munda of Odisha clinched five gold medals, and Meghanjali from Karnataka finished with four gold and two bronze medals.

Odisha was the only state to secure at least one gold medal in all six sports disciplines, including eight in athletics and seven in swimming. Jharkhand managed to win nine gold medals in athletics, four in wrestling, and three in archery, along with at least one medal in the remaining three disciplines.

On the final day, there were four gold medals available in archery, and it became evident that Odisha, trailing three gold medals behind Karnataka after the penultimate day, had no chance of overtaking as they could win no more than two gold medals in the archery events.

Arjun Khara secured one of those gold medals in the recurve men’s individual event, defeating his fellow state-mate Somanatha Hembram. However, the men’s team fell short against Jharkhand, losing 4-6 in the final.

Komalika Bari added another gold to Jharkhand’s tally by defeating Bhargavi Bhagora from Gujarat in the individual final. Nagaland claimed the women’s team gold by beating Jharkhand, finishing in 14th place with 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

A total of 25 states and Union Territories made their mark on the medal tally, with 20 of them winning at least one gold medal, showcasing the extensive talent pool across the nation. Maharashtra finished fourth with 6 gold, 10 silver, and 4 bronze, while Arunachal Pradesh rounded out the top five with 6 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze medals.

RESULTS

ARCHERY

Women

Recurve Individual: Gold – Komalika Bari (Jharkhand); Silver – Bhargavi Bhagora (Gujarat); Bronze – Ruovinuo Theunuo (Nagaland)

Recurve Team: Gold – Nagaland; Silver – Jharkhand; Bronze – Madhya Pradesh

Men

Recurve Individual: Gold – Arjun Khara (Odisha); Silver – Somanath Hembram (Odisha); Bronze – Pavan Parmar (Madhya Pradesh)

Recurve Team: Gold – Jharkhand; Silver – Odisha; Bronze – Meghalaya

FOOTBALL

Men: Gold – West Bengal; Silver – Chhattisgarh; Bronze – Arunachal Pradesh, Goa