Khelo India Tribal Games 2026: Nikita and Odisha's Swimmers Shine on Day Four
Nikita Secures Gold for Chhattisgarh
On the fourth day of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, weightlifter Nikita brought home the first gold medal for the host state of Chhattisgarh. She excelled in the women's 77kg weightlifting category, concluding the day's events with a remarkable performance. Meanwhile, Odisha's female swimmers dominated the pool, securing all three gold medals available on this day.
Medal Standings Update
Arunachal Pradesh made significant strides in the medal rankings, clinching both men's weightlifting gold medals. They are now closing in on Assam, which currently holds the third position with four gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals. Karnataka leads the overall medal tally with 15 gold, six silver, and three bronze, while Odisha follows closely with seven gold, three silver, and ten bronze medals. Chhattisgarh stands seventh with a total of eight medals, including one gold, four silver, and three bronze.
Nikita's Weightlifting Triumph
After Chhattisgarh's athletes secured four silver and three bronze medals in swimming, local fans eagerly awaited a gold medal. Nikita delivered with a stellar performance in the women's 77kg category at Pt Ravishankar University. The 20-year-old lifted a total of 160kg, comprising 70kg in Snatch and 90kg in Clean & Jerk, surpassing the second-place competitor, Srimati Jani from Odisha, by 34kg. Joyshree Patir from Assam earned the bronze with a total lift of 118kg.
"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," Nikita shared with SAI Media.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Shine in Weightlifting
In women's 69kg weightlifting, Dimpi Sonowal from Assam led a 1-2 finish, lifting a total of 155kg, while Pallavi Payeng secured silver with 131kg. Arunachal Pradesh's Ruba Tadu and Lalu Taku also contributed to their state's medal tally, winning gold in the men's 88kg and 94kg categories, respectively, with lifts of 274kg and 250kg.
Swimming Highlights: Krow Siblings Excel
In swimming, the Krow siblings from Assam made headlines, with Nibir Krow winning gold in the 50m Backstroke and Violina Krow taking bronze in the 100m freestyle. Nibir clocked a time of 31.31 seconds, edging out Karnataka's Dhoneesh N, who finished second at 31.39 seconds. In the women's 100m freestyle, Odisha's Ritika Minz and Krushna Priya Nayak secured gold and silver, respectively.
Karnataka concluded the swimming events with an impressive tally of 15 gold, five silver, and three bronze medals. Manikanta L led the charge with eight golds and one silver, while Dhoneesh M followed with five golds and one silver. In the women's category, Meghanjali from Karnataka bagged four golds and two bronzes.
Day 4 Results Overview
Swimming Results
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 Results
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.