Raipur, March 26 (NationPress) Swimmer Manikanta L from Karnataka continued his remarkable streak, securing his third consecutive gold medal, while Anjali Munda from Odisha claimed her second gold on the second day of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) held in Raipur on Thursday.

Manikanta excelled in the men’s 200m Individual Medley (IM) with a time of 2:25.93s, achieving his hat-trick of gold medals after previously winning the 100m breaststroke and 50m butterfly events. Riyaj Tripura from Tripura took home the silver medal with a time of 2:34.04s, while Kanhu Soren from Odisha finished in bronze with a time of 2:36.21s.

In the women’s 200m IM, Anjali Munda, who had already secured gold in the 200m freestyle on Wednesday, added another victory to her collection with a time of 2:53.82s. Anushka Bhagat from Chhattisgarh thrilled the local fans by winning the silver with 2:59.33s, marking her second medal of the Games, while Anjali Mallick from Odisha took home the bronze with a time of 3:06.13s.

The inaugural edition of these Games features participants from 30 states and Union Territories, with nearly 3,800 athletes competing in nine disciplines. A total of 106 gold medals are available in sports such as archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, while Mallakhamb and Kabaddi are showcased as demonstration sports.

Karnataka leads the medal standings with six gold and two silver medals, followed by Odisha with three gold, one silver, and four bronze medals.

In weightlifting, Monikha Sonowal from Assam and Isak Malsawmtluanga from Mizoram triumphed despite injury setbacks to win gold.

Monikha, competing in the women’s 48kg category, lifted 57kg in snatch and 75kg in clean and jerk for a total of 132kg to earn gold. The silver medal went to Deepa Rani Mallik from Odisha with 120kg, while Alaaska Aleena from Andaman and Nicobar Islands secured bronze with 115kg.

Monikha, originally from Dhemaji district in Assam, faced a knee injury sustained three months prior and nearly withdrew from the event. She expressed, “I was determined not to miss this opportunity as I wanted to leave a mark on the national level, and I am delighted to have performed under pressure.”

In the men’s 60kg category, Malsawmtluanga overcame a back injury to secure gold with a total lift of 235kg. After struggling with a 108kg lift in the snatch, he made a strong recovery with a successful 130kg lift in clean and jerk.

Babulal Hembrom from Jharkhand earned silver with a total of 230kg, while Subrat Naik from Odisha finished third with 228kg.

Results:

Football (Men):

Group A: Chhattisgarh drew with West Bengal 1-1

Group B: Arunachal Pradesh defeated Goa 2-0

Swimming

Women’s 200m IM:

Gold – Anjali Munda (Odisha) 2:53.82s

Silver – Anushka Bhagat (Chhattisgarh) 2:59.33s

Bronze – Anjali Mallick (Odisha) 3:06.13s

Men’s 200m IM:

Gold – Manikanta L (Karnataka) 2:25.93s

Silver – Riyaj Tripura (Tripura) 2:34.04s

Bronze – Kanhu Soren (Odisha) 2:36.21s

Weightlifting

Women’s 48kg:

Gold – Monikha Sonowal (Assam) 132kg

Silver – Deepa Rani Mallik (Odisha) 120kg

Bronze – Alaaska Aleena (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) 115kg

Women’s 53kg:

Gold – Jhilli Dalabehera (Odisha) 160kg

Silver – Kiuchangliu Gangmei (Manipur) 160kg

Bronze – Larityngkai Lawriniang (Meghalaya) 132kg

Men’s 60kg:

Gold – Isak Malsawmtluanga (Mizoram) 235kg

Silver – Babulal Hembrom (Jharkhand) 230kg

Bronze – Subrat Naik (Odisha) 228kg