Raipur, :Riding on a solitary strike by captain Kiran Pisda, hosts Chhattisgarh clinched the women’s football gold at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, defeating Jharkhand 1-0 in a closely contested final.
Pisda capitalised on a defensive lapse in the 61st minute to score the match-winning goal, helping the hosts secure a memorable victory in front of a jubilant home crowd. “It’s a special moment for us. The support from fans was overwhelming, and winning gold at home makes it even more memorable,” said an elated Pisda.
Chhattisgarh also added to their medal tally in athletics, securing a silver in the men’s 4x400m relay and a bronze in the men’s 1500m through Manish Kumar on the penultimate day of track and field competitions at Jagdalpur.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand’s Shiv Kumar Soren continued his stellar performance by completing a sprint double, adding the men’s 200m gold (21.51s) to his 100m triumph. Karnataka athletes dominated the women’s track events, with Reethushree clinching the 200m gold (25.87s) to add to her 400m title, while Nagini completed a middle-distance double by winning the 1500m (4:43.87s) after her 800m victory.
In the men’s 4x400m relay, Odisha clinched gold with a timing of 3:18.47s, followed by Chhattisgarh (3:19.26s) and Jharkhand (3:19.62s). Earlier, Rahul Oraon of Jharkhand won the men’s 1500m gold (4:01.18s), with Maharashtra’s Kartik Kariharpal taking silver (4:01.23s) and Chhattisgarh’s Manish Kumar finishing with bronze (4:01.50s).
In archery, former world junior champion Komalika Bari, partnering Krishna Pingua, secured gold for Jharkhand in the recurve mixed team event by defeating Odisha’s Arjun Khara and Mamitaoram.
Maharashtra’s Harshwardhan Ingle had a standout day, winning the men’s compound individual gold and later teaming up with Vaishnavi Pardeshi to clinch the compound mixed team title, pushing Maharashtra to fourth place in the overall standings.
With just one day remaining, Karnataka continues to lead the medal tally with 23 gold, eight silver, and seven bronze medals. Odisha holds second place with 20 gold, 13 silver, and 21 bronze, while Jharkhand is third with 14 gold, seven silver, and 11 bronze medals.
Hosts Chhattisgarh have climbed to ninth position with three gold, nine silver, and six bronze medals.
The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games has brought together around 3,800 athletes from 30 States and Union Territories, competing across seven disciplines—archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling—while Mallakhamb and Kabaddi are featured as demonstration sports.
