KITG 2026: Jharkhand’s Shiv Kumar & Prithvi Oraon Crowned Fastest Athletes

Raipur (IANS): Jharkhand’s Shiv Kumar Soren and Prithvi Oraon claimed the titles of fastest man and woman at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 on Tuesday. The duo dominated the track at the Kreeda Parisar ground in Jagdalpur, while host Chhattisgarh’s Siddharth Nagesh clinched shot put gold and discus silver. Tilak Barsel added to the hosts’ tally by bagging silver in the men’s 100m.

Shiv Kumar and Prithvi led their respective 100m races from start to finish to secure a golden double for Jharkhand. Shiv Kumar clocked 10.58s to take the win, followed by Barsel (10.87s) for silver and Odisha’s Atish Kindo (10.91s) for bronze.

In the women’s 100m final, 16-year-old Prithvi Oraon clocked a personal best of 12.73s to seize the gold. Ruduolhounuo Belho of Nagaland (12.90s) and Putul Bakshi of Jharkhand (13.03s) took home silver and bronze, respectively.

“I felt confident about winning because I performed well in the selection trials,” Prithvi said after the race. “Today, I focused on giving my best, and I’m happy I set a new personal record.”

Siddharth Nagesh opened the day for the hosts by securing silver in the men’s discus throw with a 35.56m effort. Gujarat’s Danish Makvana won gold (44.83m), while Odisha’s Chandray Murmu (33.97m) took bronze. Nagesh improved his standing in the evening session, grabbing the shot put gold with a 13.52m throw, ahead of Makvana’s 13.04m.

Chhattisgarh also reached the women’s football final after defeating Arunachal Pradesh in a penalty shootout. They currently hold 10th place in the medals tally. Jharkhand will meet them in the final after crushing Gujarat 9-0 in a dominant semifinal performance.

Karnataka continues to lead the overall standings with 19 gold medals, while Odisha follows in second with 13. Jharkhand jumped to third place today, adding gold in the women’s 4x100m and the men’s 77kg Greco-Roman wrestling, where Abhishek Munda defeated Himachal Pradesh’s Arfan.

Despite unseasonal rains canceling the previous evening’s session, a packed morning featured seven finals. In the long jump, 26-year-old Abdul Fathah made history as the first athlete from Lakshadweep to clear the 7m mark. His final leap of 7.03m secured gold, narrowly beating Odisha’s Bhima Sardar (6.96m).

The men’s 400m featured a photo-finish. Gujarat’s Santoshbhai Ganvit (49.332s) edged out Odisha’s Nobal Kumar Kissan (49.335s) for the gold, while Karnataka’s Ramu took bronze.

Goa entered the gold column thanks to Manasi Kunkalka’s 9.72m toss in the women’s shot put. Bihar’s Anamika Gond and Meghalaya’s Melibadkro followed with silver and bronze.

Key Results

Athletics (Gold Medalists)

• Men’s 100m: Shiv Kumar Soren (Jharkhand) – 10.58s

• Women’s 100m: Prithvi Oraon (Jharkhand) – 12.73s

• Men’s Long Jump: Abdul Fathah (Lakshadweep) – 7.03m

• Men’s Shot Put: Siddharth Nagesh (Chhattisgarh) – 13.52m

Football (Semifinals)

• Women: Chhattisgarh def. Arunachal Pradesh (4-3 penalties); Jharkhand def. Gujarat (9-0)

Wrestling (Gold Medalists)

• Men’s 77kg GR: Abhishek Munda (Jharkhand)

• Men’s 86kg FS: Sumit Thakur (Himachal Pradesh)

• Women’s 57kg: Nagalaxmi (Telangana)