Raipur, March 29: Wrestling took centre stage on Day 5 of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026 as Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh clinched two gold medals each in Ambikapur, while Mizoram wrapped up a strong weightlifting campaign with two more golds on Sunday (March 29).
Jharkhand opened their gold account in style through Poonam Oraon, who won the women's 50kg final with a 6-3 victory. Soon after, Anjit Kumar Munda added another gold in the men's 67kg Greco Roman category, sealing victory by technical superiority.

Himachal Pradesh matched that feat with two gold medals of their own as Priyanka Chaudhary clinched the yellow metal in Women's 62kg and Navish Kumar topped the podium in Men's 97kg Greco Roman.
The strong showing from both states underlined their depth in wrestling as the competition began.
Mizoram ended their weightlifting campaign on a high, with two gold medals:
These performances lifted Mizoram to fifth place in the overall standings, capping off a consistent showing in the discipline.
Sambo Lapung played a crucial role in reshaping the medal table, winning gold in the men's 110kg category with a massive 299kg total lift.
His victory helped Arunachal Pradesh leapfrog Assam into third place, highlighting the growing competitiveness among northeastern states.
Maharashtra added to their medal tally through with Sakshi Burkule clinching a gold in Women's 86kg gold and Vinod Salkar clinched a freestyle gold in Men's 125kg category.
Meanwhile, Jammu & Kashmir opened their medal account with an impressive performance as Munir Hussain won a gold in men's 74kg freestyle and Shama Hoon secured a silver in 97kg Greco Roman.
Hosts Chhattisgarh added two more medals in weightlifting one Silver by Rishika Kashyap (women's 86kg) and one Bronze medal was bagged by Lucky Babu Markam in men's 110kg.
However, despite consistent podium finishes, they slipped to ninth place in the overall standings.
Karnataka's dominance, built largely on swimming, continues to keep them ahead despite increased competition in other sports.
With wrestling now underway and weightlifting concluding, the Khelo India Tribal Games are entering a crucial phase where more states are expected to challenge for medals.
The emergence of multiple winners across states reflects the Games' core objective - expanding the talent base and providing a national platform for athletes from tribal regions.
| Sport | Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weightlifting (Women) | 86kg | Sakshi Burkule (Maharashtra) – 150kg | Rishika Kashyap (Chhattisgarh) – 121kg | Bitupuna Deori (Assam) – 118kg |
| Weightlifting (Women) | +86kg | Zosangzuali (Mizoram) – 140kg | Pinky Boro (Assam) – 125kg | Gunjan Uikey (Madhya Pradesh) – 86kg |
| Weightlifting (Men) | 110kg | Sambo Lapung (Arunachal Pradesh) – 299kg | David Lal Zawmdika (Mizoram) – 270kg | Lucky Babu Markam (Chhattisgarh) – 261kg |
| Weightlifting (Men) | +110kg | David Zohmingmawia (Mizoram) – 290kg | Gugulothu Raja Sekhar (Andhra Pradesh) – 255kg | Manash Pratim Sonowal (Assam) – 223kg |
| Wrestling (Women) | 50kg | Poonam Oraon (Jharkhand) | Geetha K (Telangana) | Chanchala Kumari (Jharkhand), Ruptalin Timungpi (Assam) |
| Wrestling (Women) | 62kg | Priyanka Chaudhary (Himachal Pradesh) | Debi Daimary (Assam) | Chandani (Madhya Pradesh), Anisha Basumatary (Assam) |
| Wrestling (Men) | 74kg Freestyle | Munir Hussain (Jammu & Kashmir) | Vikram Pawar (Maharashtra) | Ankush Kumar (Himachal Pradesh), Amrut Duragannavar (Karnataka) |
| Wrestling (Men) | 125kg Freestyle | Vinod Salkar (Maharashtra) | Amit Meena (Rajasthan) | Harpal Singh (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Wrestling (Men) | 67kg Greco Roman | Anjit Kumar Munda (Jharkhand) | Vasva Mukhesh Bhai (Gujarat) | Akashkardong (Assam), Akshay Kumar (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Wrestling (Men) | 97kg Greco Roman | Navish Kumar (Himachal Pradesh) | Shama Hoon (Jammu & Kashmir) | Sahil Choudhary (Himachal Pradesh) |