Manikanta helps Karnataka become 1st state to win over 10 gold at Khelo India Tribal Games

Karnataka extended their lead at the top of the medals tally with yet another dominant show at the international swimming pool while hosts Chhattisgarh had their best day in the first Khelo India Tribal Games so far, winning one silver and two bronze medals in Raipur on Friday.

The strapping Manikanta L once again led the charge as the Karnataka swimmer added two gold and silver to his individual tally. Karnataka ended Day 3 with 13 gold, 5 silver and one bronze. Odisha are second with six gold, two silver and nine bronze while Assam are third with two gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Chhattisgarh are joint seventh with Tripura with six medals each – three silvers and as many bronze.

For Chhattisgarh, Anushka Bhagat grabbed her third silver medal of the Games, this time in women’s 50m breaststroke, Nikhil Xalco won his second bronze medal in men’s 50m breaststroke while Nyasa Paikra joined them on the podium list with a bronze medal in 100m butterfly.

After three days of competition, 14 states have won at least one medal while six of them have won at least one gold. Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra also opened their gold medal account on Friday with Anai Wangsu clinching the women’s 58kg gold in weightlifting for the North Eastern state, while Tanvi Dhurve bagged the women’s 100m butterfly gold.

Tanvi bags gold, opens Maha account

Tanvi became the first swimmer who is not from Karnataka or Odisha to stand at the top of the podium when she stopped the clock at 1:23.65s, almost nine seconds ahead of second-placed Shristi Verma of Madhya Pradesh. Nyasa Paikra of Chhattisgarh finished third with a time of 1:47.62s.

“I have been swimming for past eight years, inspired by my family. My father Sukhdev was an international open water swimmer, and brother Sarthak is a gold medallist in water polo nationals and I am very happy that I have also won a Khelo India medal,” said Nagpur-based Tanvi, who just recently appeared for her 10th standard exam.

Karnataka’s Meghanjali then clinched her third gold medal of the Games with a 38.23s time in women’s 50m Breaststroke with Anushka Bhagat finishing second with a time of 39.57s. This was the third time that the top spot eluded Anushka in three days but the local favourite was overall happy with the way she has been performing in the Khelo India Tribal Games.

Karnataka swimmers Dhoonesh N and L Manikanta won the gold and silver medals respectively in the 50m freestyle event

In the men’s event, Manikanta continued to shuttle between races and the victory ceremonies as he began the day with gold medals in 50m Breaststroke and 100m Butterfly before it looked like the toll of the races got to him.

In the final race of the day, Manikanta’s statemate Dhoonesh N pipped him to the finish line in 50m freestyle. Dhoonesh, who had won the 200m freestyle gold on the opening day of the Games, stopped the clock at 25.75s while Manikanta only managed a time of 26.38s.

In the weightlifting competition, Anai Wangsu of Arunachal Pradesh lifted a total of 169 kg to win the gold in women’s 58kg category while Odisha’s Bidu Smita Bhoi bagged the women’s 63kg gold with a total lift of 195kg.

Richin Chongruju then doubled Arunachal Pradesh’s gold medal tally by winning the men’s 79kg competition with a total lift of 269kg while Mizoram took the silver and bronze through Lalfakawma (Mizoram) 265kg and Jacob Vanlatluanga (Mizoram) 250kg

Results: Football (women): Group A: Jharkhand beat Assam 9-1.

Group B: Gujarat beat Andhra Pradesh 25-0.

Swimming (women):

100m Butterfly: 1. Tanvi Dhurve (Maharashtra) 1:23.65s; 2. Shristi Verma (Madhya Pradesh) 1:32.94s; 3. Nyasa Paikra (Chhattisgarh) 1:47.62s.

50m Breaststroke: 1. Meghanjali (Karnataka) 38.23s; 2. Anushka Bhagat (Chhattisgarh) 39.57s; 3. Priya Oraon (Jharkhand) 40.83s.

50m Freestyle: 1. Meghanjali (Karnataka) 31.64s; 2. Tiluttam Jamatia (Tripura) 31.76s; 3. Verem Nongsiej (Meghalaya) 31.85s.

Men: 100m Butterfly: 1. Manikanta L (Karnataka) 59.94s; 2. Firmino Emon Lalung (Assam) 1:00.46s; 3. Riyaj Tripura (Tripura) 1:04.02s.

50m Breaststroke: 1. Manikanta L (Karnataka) 31.08s; 2. Palash Thakur (Maharashtra) 32.13s; 3. Nikhil Xalco (Chhattisgarh) 32.93s.

Karnataka’s Manikanta L dominates swimming, Odisha’s Anjali completes golden hat-trick

50m Freestyle: 1. Dhoonesh N (Karnataka) 25.75s; 2. Manikanta L (Karnataka) 26.38s; 3. Firmino Emon Lalung (Assam) 26.58s.

Weightlifting (women): 58kg: 1. Anai Wangsu (Arunachal Pradesh) 169kg; 2. Mina Santa (Odisha) 165kg; 3. Mina Singh (Odisha) 161kg.

63kg: 1. Bidu Smita Bhoi (Odisha) 195kg; 2. Boni Mangkhya (Arunachal Pradesh) 193kg; 3. Dunkham Seng Turung (Assam) 161kg.

Men: 71kg: 1. Mh Silvan Beihrothatlo (Mizoram) 281kg; 2. Manjunath Marati (Karnataka) 270kg; 3. Tayar Ronik (Arunachal Pradesh) 255kg.

79kg: 1. Richin Chongruju (Arunachal Pradesh); 2. Lalfakawma (Mizoram) 265kg; 3. Jacob Vanlatluanga (Mizoram) 250kg.

Photo caption: Chattisgarh’s Nikhil Khalko (left), Anushka Bhagat (middle), Nyasa Paikara (right) won medals in swimming