Raipur, Mar 31: Athletics took centre stage on Day 7 of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 as Jharkhand’s sprinters dominated the track events, while a historic long jump performance and strong showing by hosts Chhattisgarh added to an action-packed day on Tuesday.
Shiv Kumar Soren and 16-year-old Prithvi Oraon emerged as the fastest men and women of the Games, clinching gold in the 100m events. Soren clocked 10.58 seconds to win the men’s race, while Oraon registered a personal best of 12.73 seconds to top the women’s field, completing a sprint double for Jharkhand.
“I was confident of winning a medal… I focused on giving my best and I am happy that I could set my personal best time,” Oraon said after her victory.
Hosts Chhattisgarh also made their presence felt, with Tilak Barsel securing silver in the men’s 100m, finishing in 10.87 seconds. Siddharth Nagesh delivered a standout performance in field events, clinching gold in shot put with a throw of 13.52m and adding a silver in discus throw (35.56m).
A historic moment came in the men’s long jump, where Abdul Fathah of Lakshadweep leapt 7.03m to claim gold, becoming the first athlete from the island territory to cross the 7m mark.
Among other highlights, Santoshbhai Ganvit of Gujarat won the men’s 400m in a thrilling photo-finish, while Jharkhand clinched gold in the women’s 4x100m relay and Odisha topped the men’s 4x100m event. Manasi Kunkalka bagged the women’s shot put gold, opening Goa’s medal account.
Wrestling competitions also contributed significantly to the medal tally, with Abhishek Munda (Jharkhand), Ajit Bhuyan (Odisha) and Sumit Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) winning gold in their respective categories.
In football, hosts Chhattisgarh booked a place in the women’s final after edging past Arunachal Pradesh in a penalty shootout, while Jharkhand stormed into the title clash with a commanding 9-0 win over Gujarat. The two sides will now face off in the summit clash.
In the overall standings, Karnataka continued to lead the medal tally with 19 gold medals, followed by Odisha with 13 gold, while Jharkhand climbed to third with seven gold medals, powered by strong performances in athletics and wrestling.
With events packed due to earlier rain disruptions, Day 7 showcased the depth of emerging tribal talent across disciplines. As the Games near their final stages, the race for podium finishes is intensifying, with several states making strong pushes in the medal tally.
