Raipur: Karnataka put up a stellar performance to win the overall title in the first edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026, while hosts Chhattisgarh finished ninth with 19 medals.

Karnataka topped the medal tally with 23 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze medals. Odisha finished second with 21 gold, and Jharkhand third with 16 gold. Odisha also finished as the leading medal winner with 57 total medals.

Approximately 3,800 athletes from 30 states and union territories participated in the competition. Competitions were held in nine sports, including archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling. Athletes competed for a total of 106 gold medals.

Host Chhattisgarh made a strong presence felt, winning 3 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals. In the men's football final, West Bengal defeated Chhattisgarh 1-0 to win the gold medal, while Chhattisgarh settled for silver.

In archery, Komalika Bari of Jharkhand won gold in the women's recurve individual event, while Arjun Khara of Odisha took gold in the men's. Jharkhand also won gold in the men's recurve team event.

Swimming was a major contributor to Karnataka's success, winning 15 gold medals. Manikanth L of Karnataka was the most successful athlete with 8 gold and 1 silver.

Twenty-five states won medals at the event, with 20 securing at least one gold. This indicates the widespread and bright future of tribal sporting talent across the country.