Bhaktish kumre

Khelo India Tribal Games: Karnataka’s Dhoneesh N. and Odisha’s Anjali Munda clinched the first two gold medals with a dominant performance in the men’s and women’s 200m freestyle swimming event in the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026 at the International Swimming Complex in Raipur on Wednesday.

Karnataka dominated the opening day in the pool, winning five of the six gold medals on offer while hosts Chhattisgarh also opened their account with a silver and bronze medals in the women’s and men’s 100m breaststroke, respectively.

In all, 30 states and Union Territories are participating in the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games that will witness close to 3800 participants compete in nine sports disciplines. A whopping 106 gold medals will be on offer across archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling, while traditional sports like Mallakhamb and Kabaddi will be demonstration sports.