Nikita Secures Gold for Chhattisgarh at Khelo India Tribal Games 2026

The Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 saw Chhattisgarh's Nikita winning the first gold medal for her state in weightlifting, while Odisha's women swimmers excelled, clinching all available golds. With impressive performances across various events, including swimming and weightlifting, the competition showcased emerging talents and fierce rivalries. As the medal tally unfolds, Karnataka leads, followed closely by Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh. This event highlights the growing sports culture in India, particularly among tribal athletes. Read on for detailed results and insights from this exciting day of competition.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 29, 2026, 01:58 IST

Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 Highlights

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 28: Weightlifter Nikita has brought home the first gold medal for Chhattisgarh, while the women swimmers from Odisha dominated the pool, winning all three gold medals available on the fourth day of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026.

Nikita excelled in the women's 77kg weightlifting category, clinching gold in the final event of the day. Odisha's Ritika Minz (100m freestyle), Anjali Munda (50m backstroke), and the 4x100m medley relay team also secured gold medals, with Anjali achieving a remarkable five golds, four of which were in individual events.

Arunachal Pradesh made significant strides in the medal standings, capturing both men's weightlifting golds, inching closer to third place, currently held by Assam, which has four golds, seven silvers, and three bronzes. Karnataka leads the medal tally with 15 golds, six silvers, and three bronzes, while Odisha follows with seven golds, three silvers, and ten bronzes. Chhattisgarh stands seventh with a total of eight medals, including one gold, four silvers, and three bronzes.

After securing four silvers and three bronzes in swimming, local fans were eager for a gold, which Nikita delivered with her impressive performance in the women's 77kg category at Pt Ravishankar University.

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

Nikita expressed her joy, stating, “This is a special moment for me as it marks my first gold medal in Khelo India. I trained hard for a year leading up to these games and felt confident about winning once I arrived for the weigh-in.”

In the women's 69kg category, Assam's Dimpi Sonowal led a 1-2 finish with a total lift of 155kg, while Pallavi Payeng secured silver with 131kg. Arunachal Pradesh's Ruba Tadu (men's 88kg) and Lalu Taku (men's 94kg) also contributed to their state's medal count, winning golds with lifts of 274kg and 250kg, respectively.

In swimming, Assam's Krow siblings made headlines, with Nibir Krow winning gold and Violina Krow taking bronze on the final day of events at the international pool. Nibir triumphed in the 50m backstroke with a time of 31.31 seconds, edging out Karnataka's Dhoneesh N, who finished second at 31.39 seconds.

Earlier, Violina secured bronze in the 100m freestyle, clocking in at 1:16.62 seconds, while Odisha's Ritika Minz and Krushna Priya Nayak took gold and silver, respectively.

Karnataka concluded the swimming events with an impressive tally of 15 golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. Manikanta L led the men's section with eight golds and one silver, while Dhoneesh M followed with five golds and one silver. In the women's category, Karnataka's Meghanjali earned four golds and two bronzes.

Results

Swimming

Women:

100m Freestyle: Gold – Ritika Minz (Odisha) 1:12.93s; Silver – Krushna Priya Nayak (Odisha) 1:15.77s; Bronze – Violina Krow (Assam) 1:16.62s

50m Backstroke: Gold – Anjali Munda (Odisha) 36.37s; Silver – Anushka Bhagat (Chhattisgarh) 36.53s; Bronze – Meghanjali (Karnataka) 38.54s

4x100m Medley relay: Gold – Assam 5:46.86s; Silver – Tripura 5:58.51s; Bronze – Gujarat 6:52.20

Men:

100m Freestyle: Gold – Dhoneesh N (Karnataka) 58.16s; Silver – Firmino Emon Lalung (Assam) 58.75s; Bronze – Keerthan Sharat (Karnataka) 59.02s

50m Backstroke: Gold – Nibir Nilim Krow (Assam) 31.31s; Silver – Dhoneesh N (Karnataka) 31.39s; Bronze – Rajesh Soren (Odisha) 32.03s

4x100m Medley relay: Gold – Karnataka 4:32.36s; Silver – Assam 4:34.83s; Bronze – Tripura 4:44.95s

Weightlifting

Women:

69kg: Gold – Dimpi Sonowal (Assam) 155kg; Silver – Pallavi Payeng (Assam) 131kg; Bronze – Agnes Fernandes (Goa) 130kg

77kg: Gold – Nikita (Chhattisgarh) 160kg; Silver – Srimati Jani (Odisha) 126kg; Bronze – Joyshree Patir (Assam) 118kg

Men:

88kg: Gold – Ruba Tadu (Arunachal Pradesh) 274kg; Silver – Devarkonda Prem Sagar (Andhra Pradesh) 270kg; Bronze – Soram Hitlar Sagar (Arunachal Pradesh) 262kg

94kg: Gold – Lalu Taku (Arunachal Pradesh) 250kg; Silver – P Mani Shankar (Andhra Pradesh) 244kg; Bronze – Khem Raj (Himachal Pradesh) 232kg.