Karnataka dominate to win Khelo India Tribal Games 2026; Chhattisgarh end ninth

The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 concluded with Karnataka emerging as the overall champions, finishing atop the medal tally with a commanding all-round performance. Hosts Chhattisgarh, despite moments of promise and strong home support, ended their campaign in ninth place, with a silver medal in men’s football as their standout achievement.

Nearly 3,800 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories competed across nine disciplines, underlining the scale and significance of the Games. A total of 106 gold medals were up for grabs in events such as athletics, archery, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling, while traditional sports like mallakhamb and kabaddi featured as demonstration disciplines.

Advertisement

Karnataka set the pace from the opening day and never looked back, finishing with 23 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze medals. Odisha followed in second place with 21 gold, 15 silver and 21 bronze medals, while Jharkhand secured third position with 16 gold, 8 silver and 11 bronze, powered by strong performances in athletics, wrestling and archery.

Chhattisgarh finished with 3 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals. The host state’s final medal came in men’s football, where it went down 0–1 to West Bengal in a closely contested final, settling for silver.

Karnataka’s success was built largely on its dominance in swimming, where it secured 15 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals. It also added five gold medals in athletics and three in wrestling, ensuring a comfortable lead over the chasing pack.

Swimmer Manikanta L emerged as the most successful athlete of the Games, winning eight gold and one silver medal. Teammate Dhanush N contributed five gold and one silver, underlining Karnataka’s strength in the pool.

Among the women, Odisha’s Anjali Munda stood out with five gold medals, while Karnataka’s Meghanjali claimed four gold and two bronze. Odisha remained the only contingent to win at least one gold medal in all six core disciplines, including eight in athletics and seven in swimming. Jharkhand, meanwhile, secured nine gold medals in athletics, four in wrestling and three in archery, while maintaining a presence across other events.

The final day saw high-stakes competition in archery, with four gold medals decided. Jharkhand’s Komalika Bari, a former World Junior Champion, added to her mixed team success by clinching gold in the women’s recurve individual event, defeating Gujarat’s Bhargavi Bhagora. Odisha’s Arjun Khara secured gold in the men’s recurve individual category, overcoming fellow state archer Somanath Hembram.

In total, 25 states and Union Territories featured in the medal tally, with 20 securing at least one gold medal, highlighting the growing spread of sporting talent across tribal regions in the country. Maharashtra finished fourth with 6 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze medals, while Arunachal Pradesh placed fifth with 6 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze.

The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games have done more than just produce medal winners. They have opened a wider pathway for talent from remote and often overlooked regions. Senior sportsman Haleem Quraishi noted that such platforms are beginning to reshape India’s sporting landscape, bringing new regions into focus and offering athletes opportunities that once seemed out of reach.