Anjali from Odisha wins three gold medals in a row.

Raipur was buzzing with excitement as the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 entered its second day. The swimming competition saw some stellar performances, with Karnataka's Manikanta L leading the charge with three more gold medals, bringing his individual tally to an impressive five. Meanwhile, Odisha's Anjali Munda continued to dominate in the pool, adding three more golds to her name and completing a hat-trick of wins.

Local girl Anushka Bhagat also made her state proud by securing a second silver medal in the women's 200m individual medley race. She had previously won silver in the 100m breaststroke event on Wednesday. As the day came to a close, Karnataka remained at the top of the medals table with a total of eight golds, followed closely by Odisha with five golds.

In the women's swimming events, Odisha continued to reign supreme, with Anjali Munda winning two more golds. She first claimed victory in the 200m individual medley race with a time of 2:53.82s, followed by Chhattisgarh's Anushka Bhagat who took home the silver with a time of 2:59.33s. Another Odisha swimmer, Anjali Mallick, secured the bronze medal.

Anjali then went on to add the 100m backstroke gold to her collection, with Karnataka's Nidhi S finishing in second place. While Anjali did not participate in the 4x100 relay, her teammates Ritika Minz, Krushna Nayak, Rupali Hembram, and Subhasmita Baipai made sure to bring in another gold for Odisha with a time of 5:06.12s. They beat out teams from Gujarat and Karnataka to claim the top spot on the podium.

Odisha's fourth gold of the day came from the weightlifting hall, where former Asian Championships gold medallist Jhilli Dalabehera emerged victorious in the women's category. She tied with Kiuchangliu Gangmei of Manipur in terms of weight lifted (160kg), but her lower body weight secured her the top spot. In the women's 48kg event, Monikha of Odisha dominated the competition, lifting a total of 132kg to take home the gold medal.

Deepa Rani Mallik of Odisha and Alaaska Aleena of Andaman and Nicobar Islands won silver and bronze, respectively. Overall, it was an eventful day at the Khelo India Tribal Games, with athletes from different states showcasing their talent and bringing glory to their respective regions. The competition is fierce, but it's heartening to see the camaraderie and sportsmanship among the participants.

The energy and excitement will surely continue to build as the games progress, and we can't wait to see what the rest of the event has in store for us.