Raipur, March 28 (NationPress) Weightlifter Nikita has finally secured the first gold medal for Chhattisgarh, while the women swimmers from Odisha swept all three gold medals available on the final day of swimming at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here on Saturday.

Nikita showcased her strength in the women’s 77kg weightlifting category, decisively winning the gold medal in the concluding event of the day. Meanwhile, Odisha triumphed with gold medals from Ritika Minz (100m freestyle), Anjali Munda (50m Backstroke), and the 4x100 medley relay team. Anjali concluded her day with an impressive five golds, four from individual events.

Arunachal Pradesh also made significant strides in the medals tally, capturing both men’s weightlifting golds, bringing them closer to the third position currently held by Assam, who have four gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals.

Karnataka continues to lead the overall medals count with 15 golds, six silvers, and three bronzes, followed by Odisha with seven golds, three silvers, and ten bronzes. Chhattisgarh, the host state, sits in seventh place with eight total medals (one gold, four silver, and three bronze).

After claiming four silvers and three bronzes in the swimming events, fans in Chhattisgarh eagerly awaited a gold medal, and Nikita delivered with her outstanding performance in the women’s 77kg category at the open ground in Pt Ravishankar University.

The 20-year-old athlete lifted an impressive total of 160kg (70kg in Snatch and 90kg in Clean & Jerk), surpassing second-place Srimati Jani of Odisha by 34kg. Joyshree Patir from Assam secured the bronze with a total of 118kg.

“This is a significant milestone for me as it's my first gold medal at Khelo India. I dedicated an entire year preparing for these games and felt confident as soon as I entered the weightlifting arena for the weigh-in,” Nikita shared with SAI Media.

Dimpi Sonowal led an Assam 1-2 finish in the women’s 69kg category with a total of 155kg, while Pallavi Payeng earned the silver with 131kg. Ruba Tadu (men’s 88kg) and Lalu Taku (Men’s 94kg) bolstered Arunachal Pradesh’s medal hopes with their gold medal wins, lifting totals of 274kg and 250kg respectively.

In swimming, Assam’s Krow siblings, Nibir and Violina Krow, secured gold and bronze medals on the final day of events at the international pool. Nibir clinched gold in the 50m Backstroke with a time of 31.31 seconds, edging out Karnataka’s Dhoneesh N (31.39s).

Earlier, Violina earned bronze in the 100m freestyle with a time of 1:16.62s, while Odisha’s Ritika Minz and Krushna Priya Nayak took home gold and silver with times of 1:12.93s and 1:15.77s, respectively.

As the swimming competition concluded, Karnataka finished with a total of 15 golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. Manikanta L led the charge with eight golds and one silver, while Dhoneesh M concluded with five golds and one silver. In the women’s events, Karnataka’s Meghanjali achieved four golds and two bronzes.