Raipur: Powerhouse Karnataka showcased its supremacy in the pool, winning five of the six gold medals on offer, with Dhoneesh N making a splash in the men’s 200m freestyle on the opening day of the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games here Wednesday. Dhoneesh clocked 2:03.55s, nearly seven seconds faster than state-mate Keerthan Sharat (2:10.99s), who finished second, while Bhaktish Kumre of Maharashtra took bronze with a time of 2:14.73s.
After Day 1 of action, Karnataka led the table with seven medals, including five gold, while Odisha were second with four medals, including one gold. Hosts Chhattisgarh were fourth with two medals. Anjali Munda of Odisha also set the pool ablaze, clinching the Women’s 200m Freestyle gold in 2:39.02s in a near photo finish with Karnataka’s Nidhi S, who took silver in 2:39.09s. Sriya Padiami of Odisha (2:49.04s) finished third. Karnataka dominated virtually every event, with Manikanta L and Mehanjali clinching two gold medals each. Manikanta won the men’s 100m breaststroke gold in 1:07.41s, with Palash Thakur of Maharashtra (1:11.69s) finishing nearly four seconds behind in second place.
Nikhil Xalco opened hosts Chhattisgarh’s medal tally by taking bronze in 1:11.77s. Manikanta then returned to claim the 50m butterfly gold in 27.06s, ahead of Firmino Emon Lalung of Assam (27.69s) and Riyaj Tripura of Tripura (28.48s).
In the women’s events, Mehanjali stood head and shoulders above the rest. She clinched the 100m Breaststroke gold in 1:25.81s, with Anushka Bhagat of Chhattisgarh taking silver in 1:29.10s while Odisha’s Rinky Murmu settled for a spot in the podium in 1:34.70s, finishing third. A total of 30 states and Union Territories are participating in the Khelo India Tribal Games, with nearly 3,800 athletes competing across nine disciplines.
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