Weightlifter Nikita ends the wait with a commanding 160kg total in the 77kg category while local swimmers pile up silvers and bronzes in the inaugural event hosted across Raipur, Jagdalpur and Surguja.
Raipur, March 30, 2026 — Weightlifter Nikita delivered Chhattisgarh its first gold medal at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026, lifting a total of 160kg in the women’s 77kg category on day four.
She snatched 70kg and jerked 90kg to finish 34kg ahead of silver medallist Srimati Jani of Odisha. The performance at Pt Ravishankar University grounds sent the home crowd into celebration after days of near misses in the pool.
Chhattisgarh athletes had already stacked four silvers and three bronzes from swimming events. Anushka Bhagat stood out with multiple podium finishes, including her third silver in the women’s 50m breaststroke on an earlier day.
Nikita’s gold pushed the hosts to seventh in the overall medal tally with one gold, four silvers and three bronzes. Karnataka led the table with 15 golds at that point, followed by Odisha.
The inaugural games opened on March 25 and run through April 3. Over 2,000 tribal athletes from across India compete in seven medal sports: athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling and archery. Mallakhamb and kabaddi feature as demonstration events.
Venues spread across three cities — Raipur, Jagdalpur and Surguja — to spotlight Chhattisgarh’s tribal heartland. Organisers under the Khelo India mission aimed to uncover grassroots talent and celebrate indigenous sporting culture.
In the pool, Chhattisgarh swimmers showed consistent fight. Anushka Bhagat took silver in the 50m backstroke behind Odisha’s Anjali Munda. Nikhil Xalco grabbed bronze in the men’s 50m breaststroke. Nyasa Paikra added another bronze in the women’s 100m butterfly.
Reports from day two and three highlighted strong local efforts in swimming, with one standout Chhattisgarh swimmer reportedly claiming multiple golds across sessions. Exact names and final counts for all swimming medals continue to circulate through state sports department updates.
Weightlifting delivered more moments. Boni Mangkhiya secured silver in the 63kg category on day two. Rishika Kashyap and Lucky Babu Markam earned medals in other sessions, keeping Chhattisgarh in the conversation even as bigger states dominated the early tally.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai joined the cheers when Nikita’s gold came through, according to local reports. The moment marked a breakthrough for the host contingent after patient buildup in the pool.
Athletes hail from tribal communities, many training in remote areas with limited facilities. Their presence on this national stage already signals progress for sports development in India’s tribal regions.
Action continues in athletics, archery and team sports through the final days. Wrestling and hockey squads from Chhattisgarh still eye podium chances in the remaining schedule.
How many more home medals will drop before the curtain falls on April 3?
The games wrap with a closing ceremony that promises to honour every participant. For Chhattisgarh, the focus now shifts to converting this spotlight into sustained talent pipelines back in the districts.
