Chhattisgarh Shines at Khelo India Tribal Games with Cash Rewards for Athletes

Celebrating Success at the Khelo India Tribal Games

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 3: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai commended the athletes from Chhattisgarh for their remarkable achievements during the first Khelo India Tribal Games. He announced monetary rewards for all medal winners and promised additional financial support for those who qualify for the Olympics.

Chhattisgarh secured ninth place in the overall medal standings, earning 3 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals. Karnataka emerged as the overall champion, amassing 23 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze medals. Odisha followed closely in second place with 21 gold, 15 silver, and 21 bronze medals, becoming the only state to surpass 50 total medals with a count of 57. Jharkhand rounded out the top three with 16 gold, 8 silver, and 11 bronze medals, according to a press release from SAI Media.

During the vibrant closing ceremony at the Deendayal Upadhyay auditorium, the Chief Minister revealed that individual gold medalists would receive Rs 2 lakh each, while silver and bronze medalists would be awarded Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively. Team event medalists will receive Rs 1 lakh for gold, Rs 75,000 for silver, and Rs 50,000 for bronze.

Gold medals were secured by Siddharth Nagesh in men's shot put, Nikita in weightlifting, and the women's football team. The men's football team concluded their campaign with a silver medal after a narrow 0-1 defeat to West Bengal.

The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games saw participation from 30 states and Union Territories, with nearly 3,800 athletes competing across nine sports disciplines. A total of 106 gold medals were available in events such as archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, while traditional sports like mallakhamb and kabaddi were showcased as demonstration events.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, who oversees the Sports Ministry, praised the Sports Authority of India and the state sports department for their efforts in organizing the Games and expressed his commitment to hosting an even larger event in the future.

“This is the first time such prestigious Games have taken place in Chhattisgarh, and I commend SAI, the sports department, and all involved for their dedication in making this event a success. I assure you that the next edition will be on a grander scale, setting a benchmark for others,” he stated.

The 10-day sporting event was held across three cities in Chhattisgarh, with Karnataka leading the medal tally from the outset, particularly excelling in swimming with 15 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze medals. They also secured 5 gold in athletics and 3 in wrestling, maintaining a lead over Odisha and Jharkhand.

Manikanta L from Karnataka was the standout athlete, winning 8 gold and 1 silver, while his teammate Dhoneesh N achieved 5 gold and 1 silver in swimming. Among the female competitors, Odisha's Anjali Munda won five gold medals, and Karnataka's Meghanjali earned four gold and two bronze medals.

Odisha was the only state to win at least one gold in all six sports disciplines, including eight in athletics and seven in swimming. Jharkhand secured nine gold medals in athletics, four in wrestling, and three in archery, along with medals in other disciplines.

On the final day, four gold medals were contested in archery, but Odisha, trailing Karnataka in gold count, faced challenges in catching up. Arjun Khara won one gold in recurve men's individual, defeating his state mate Somanatha Hembram, while the men's team lost to Jharkhand 4-6 in the final.

Komalika Bari added another gold for Jharkhand by defeating Gujarat's Bhargavi Bhagora in the individual final. Nagaland claimed the women's team gold, finishing 14th overall with 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

A total of 25 states and Union Territories made it onto the medals tally, with 20 of them winning at least one gold medal, showcasing the diverse talent across the nation. Maharashtra finished fourth with 6 gold, 10 silver, and 4 bronze, while Arunachal Pradesh completed the top five with 6 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze medals.

RESULTS

ARCHERY

Women

Recurve Individual: Gold – Komalika Bari (Jharkhand); Silver – Bhargavi Bhagora (Gujarat); Bronze – Ruovinuo Theunuo (Nagaland)

Recurve Team: Gold – Nagaland; Silver – Jharkhand; Bronze – Madhya Pradesh

Men

Recurve Individual: Gold – Arjun Khara (Odisha); Silver – Somanath Hembram (Odisha); Bronze – Pavan Parmar (Madhya Pradesh)

Recurve Team: Gold – Jharkhand; Silver – Odisha; Bronze – Meghalaya

FOOTBALL

Men: Gold – West Bengal; Silver – Chhattisgarh; Bronze – Arunachal Pradesh, Goa.