Shiv Kumar Soren and Prithvi Oraon, representing Jharkhand, emerged as the fastest male and female athletes at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 held in Jagdalpur. Shiv Kumar clocked 10.58s to secure the men’s 100m gold, while Prithvi clinched the women’s 100m gold with a time of 12.73s. In other events, Siddharth Nagesh from Chhattisgarh won a shot put gold and discus throw silver, and Tilak Barsel secured the men’s 100m silver.
Prithvi expressed her joy after the race, mentioning her confidence from the selection trials and setting a personal best time. Additionally, Siddharth Nagesh excelled with a silver in men’s discus throw and a gold in shot put. Chhattisgarh’s women’s football team advanced to the final after defeating Arunachal Pradesh in a penalty shootout, contributing to the state’s total of two gold, seven silver, and four bronze medals in the games.
The overall medals tally is led by Karnataka with 19 gold, followed by Odisha with 13 gold. Jharkhand climbed to the third spot after securing additional gold medals in women’s 4x100m relay and men’s 77kg Greco-Roman wrestling. The event saw various exciting competitions, including Abdul Fathah becoming the first long jumper from Lakshadweep to surpass the 7m mark.
In the men’s 400m final, Odisha’s Nobal Kumar Kissan narrowly missed the gold to Gujarat’s Santoshbhai Ganvit in a photo-finish. Goa’s Manasi Kunkalkar claimed the women’s Shot Put gold, adding to the state’s medal tally. The games witnessed intense competitions across various disciplines, showcasing the talents of tribal athletes from different states.
