Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 (Day 1): Karnataka’s Dhanish N and Odisha’s Anjali Munda Win First Golds; Chhattisgarh Opens Its Account

Raipur, March 2026: Karnataka’s Dhanish N and Odisha’s Anjali Munda clinched the first gold medals of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 with impressive performances in the men’s and women’s 200m freestyle events at the International Swimming Complex on Wednesday.

Swimming events on the opening day were dominated by Karnataka, which won five out of six gold medals. Host state Chhattisgarh also made a promising start, securing one silver and one bronze medal in the women’s and men’s 100m breaststroke events respectively.

In this inaugural edition, around 3,800 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories are competing across nine sports disciplines. A total of 106 gold medals are at stake in events including archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, while mallakhamb and kabaddi have been included as demonstration sports.

At the end of Day 1, Karnataka topped the medal tally with seven medals, including five golds. Odisha stood second with four medals, including one gold, while Chhattisgarh was placed fourth with two medals.

In the men’s 200m freestyle final, Dhanish clocked 2:03.55 seconds to win gold, finishing nearly seven seconds ahead of fellow Karnataka swimmer Keerthan Sharath (2:10.99 seconds). Maharashtra’s Bhaktish Kumre secured the bronze medal with a time of 2:14.73 seconds.

“This is my first Khelo India Games, and winning the first gold is very special for me. I believe I could have clocked a better time, but I’m happy,” said Dhanish.

In the women’s 200m freestyle, Odisha bagged both gold and bronze. Anjali Munda edged past Karnataka’s Nidhi S in a closely contested race, clocking 2:39.02 seconds against Nidhi’s 2:39.09 seconds. Odisha’s Shriya Padiyami finished third with a time of 2:49.04 seconds.

Karnataka continued its dominance in the remaining events, with Manikanta L and Meghanjali winning two gold medals each in the 100m breaststroke and 50m butterfly categories.

Manikanta won the men’s 100m breaststroke gold with a time of 1:07.41 seconds, followed by Maharashtra’s Palash Thakur (1:11.69 seconds) and Chhattisgarh’s Nikhil Jhalko (1:11.77 seconds), who secured bronze and opened the host’s medal tally.

He then added another gold in the 50m butterfly, clocking 27.06 seconds. Assam’s Firmino Amon Lalung (27.69 seconds) and Tripura’s Riyaz Tripura (28.48 seconds) finished second and third respectively.

In the women’s category, Meghanjali delivered an equally strong performance. She won gold in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:25.81 seconds, while Chhattisgarh’s Anushka Bhagat secured silver with 1:29.10 seconds.

Meghanjali then clinched her second gold in the 50m butterfly with a time of 34.67 seconds. Tripura’s Tiluttama Jamatia (34.85 seconds) and Odisha’s Ritika Minz (35.54 seconds) won silver and bronze respectively.

The opening day set a high benchmark, with Karnataka emerging as the dominant force and other states showing strong competition in the days ahead.