- Shiv Kumar Soren, Prithvi Oraon crowned fastest athletes
- Siddharth Nagesh bags shot put gold, discus silver; Barsel takes 100m silver
- Abdul Fathah crosses 7m mark, wins long jump gold
- Chhattisgarh women enter football final
Raipur, : Jharkhand’s Shiv Kumar Soren and Prithvi Oraon stamped their authority on the track, emerging as the fastest athletes of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 by winning gold in the men’s and women’s 100m events respectively on Day 7 at the KreedaParisar ground in Jagdalpur.
Both sprinters dominated their races from the start. Shiv Kumar clocked 10.58 seconds to secure gold, while Chhattisgarh’s Tilak Barsel took silver with 10.87 seconds and Odisha’s Atish Kindo claimed bronze at 10.91 seconds.
In the women’s race, 16-year-old Prithvi delivered a personal best performance, finishing in 12.73 seconds. Nagaland’s RuduolhounuoBelho (12.90s) and Jharkhand’s PutulBakshi (13.03s) completed the podium.
Hosts Chhattisgarh had a productive outing, with Siddharth Nagesh delivering a standout performance in field events. He first secured silver in the men’s discus throw with a distance of 35.56m, before clinching gold in the shot put with a throw of 13.52m. Gujarat’s Danish Makvana, who won gold in discus, settled for silver in shot put.
Chhattisgarh’s women’s football team also advanced to the final after defeating Arunachal Pradesh in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw. They will face Jharkhand in the final, after Jharkhand registered a commanding 9-0 win over Gujarat in the other semifinal.
In a historic achievement, Abdul Fathah of Lakshadweep became the first athlete from the Union Territory to cross the 7m mark in long jump. His leap of 7.03m in the final attempt earned him the gold medal. Odisha’s Bhima Sardar (6.96m) and JivanBilung (6.95m) secured silver and bronze respectively.
The men’s 400m final produced a dramatic finish, with Gujarat’s SantoshbhaiGanvit winning gold in 49.332 seconds, narrowly edging past Odisha’s Nobal Kumar Kissan, who clocked 49.335 seconds. Karnataka’s Ramu finished third with 49.60 seconds.
In the women’s shot put, Manasi Kunkalka secured Goa’s first gold medal of the Games with a throw of 9.72m, while Bihar and Meghalaya claimed silver and bronze respectively.
Despite earlier disruptions due to unseasonal rains, the day featured a packed schedule with multiple finals, keeping spectators engaged throughout.
Karnataka continued to lead the medal tally with 19 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals. Odisha held second place, while Jharkhand climbed to third following strong performances across events.
With the competition entering its final stages, the race for medals is intensifying, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the inaugural edition of the Games.
