Khelo India Tribal Games Day 3: Manikanta L Powers Karnataka Past 10 Golds, Chhattisgarh Shine at Home

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Raipur, March 27: Karnataka continued their overwhelming dominance in swimming at the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026 as Manikanta L led the charge once again, helping his state become the first to cross 10 gold medals on Day 3 in Raipur.

At the end of Day 3, Karnataka stood firmly atop the medal standings with 13 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medals, with all 13 golds coming exclusively from swimming - a remarkable testament to their depth and preparation in the discipline.

Karnataka's Unmatched Swimming Dominance

Manikanta has been at the heart of this dominance. After winning five gold medals across the first two days, he added two more golds on Friday:

• Men's 50m Breaststroke - 31.08s
• Men's 100m Butterfly - 59.94s

He also secured a silver medal in the men's 50m freestyle, where teammate Dhoneesh N touched ahead with a timing of 25.75s, underlining Karnataka's internal competition even at the highest level.

Odisha Hold Second Spot, Competition Widens

Odisha maintained second place in the standings with six gold, two silver and nine bronze medals, while Assam remained third.

Notably, after three days of competition:

• 14 states have won at least one medal
• Six states have secured at least one gold

This growing spread highlights how the inaugural Tribal Games are already broadening the competitive base beyond traditional strongholds.

Tanvi Dhurve Breaks Karnataka-Odisha Stronghold

One of the defining moments of the day came from Tanvi Dhurve of Maharashtra, who became the first swimmer outside Karnataka and Odisha to win a gold medal.

She clinched the women's 100m butterfly title with a time of 1:23.65s, finishing nearly nine seconds ahead of the silver medallist.

"I have been swimming for past eight years, inspired by my family. My father was an international open water swimmer, and my brother is a national gold medallist. I am very happy that I have also won a Khelo India medal," Tanvi said.

Her victory not only broke the duopoly in swimming but also marked Maharashtra's arrival on the gold medal table.

Chhattisgarh's Best Day Brings Home Cheer

Hosts Chhattisgarh enjoyed their most productive outing so far, adding one silver and two bronze medals to their tally.

• Anushka Bhagat secured her third silver medal (women's 50m breaststroke)
• Nikhil Xalco added a second bronze (men's 50m breaststroke)
• Nyasa Paikra claimed bronze (women's 100m butterfly)

Despite narrowly missing gold multiple times, Anushka's consistency has made her one of the standout performers for the hosts.

Weightlifting Produces New Gold Medallists

The weightlifting arena saw multiple states making their mark:

• Anai Wangsu (Arunachal Pradesh) lifted 169kg to win women's 58kg gold
• Bidu Smita Bhoi (Odisha) clinched women's 63kg gold with 195kg
• Richin Chongruju (Arunachal Pradesh) topped men's 79kg
• Mizoram's Mh Silvan Beihrothatlo won men's 71kg gold with a lift of 281kg

Arunachal Pradesh, in particular, enjoyed a strong day, opening their gold account and quickly adding multiple titles.

Football Sees High-Scoring Encounters

Women's football matches delivered emphatic results:

• Jharkhand defeated Assam 9-1
• Gujarat registered a massive 25-0 win over Andhra Pradesh

These scorelines reflected the gap in strength among teams but also highlighted the attacking quality on display.

Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 Day 3 - Complete Results

KITG 2026 Gains Momentum

With around 3,800 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories competing across nine disciplines and 106 gold medals on offer, the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games continues to gather pace.

As the competition progresses, Karnataka remain the team to beat, but the emergence of new champions from Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram suggests that the medal race could become more competitive in the coming days.