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Tribal Games 2026: Nedi Ngi, Govind Padekar Sprint to 5000m Gold Glory

Nedi Ngi of Arunachal Pradesh won the women's 5000m gold with a strategic final sprint, while Maharashtra's Govind Padekar and Suraj Mashi secured the top two spots in the men's event. Karnataka solidified its position at the top of the medals table with two more golds from wrestling, courtesy of Rohan Doddamani and Manisha. In hockey, Odisha and Mizoram advanced to the final after convincing semi-final victories. The day's proceedings were cut short as unseasonal rains forced the cancellation of the evening session.

Key Points: Khelo India Tribal Games 2026: Athletics, Wrestling Golds

  • Nedi Ngi wins women's 5000m gold
  • Maharashtra's 1-2 in men's 5000m
  • Karnataka extends lead in medals tally
  • Unseasonal rains cancel evening session
2 min read

KITG Day 6: Arunachal's Nedi Ngi, Maharashtra's Govind Padekar win 5000m gold medals

Arunachal's Nedi Ngi & Maharashtra's Govind Padekar win 5000m golds. Karnataka leads medals tally as rain disrupts Day 6 of Khelo India Tribal Games.

"I am making a comeback... I want to focus on getting in to the National Camp - Nedi Ngi"

Raipur, March 30

Arunachal Pradesh's middle-distance runner Nedi Ngi clinched the women's 5000m gold while Maharashtra completed an impressive 1-2 in the men's category before unseasonal rains forced the organisers to cancel the evening session on the opening day of athletics competitions on day 6 of the in the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 on Monday.

Ngi held herself back till the last lap before sprinting in the final 200m to seal the gold medal with a time of 18:24.66s while Maharashtra's Govind Padekar (15:11.35s) and Suraj Mashi (15:11.64s) paced themselves perfectly to clinch the gold and silver medals respectively in the men's 5000m category.

"I am making a comeback after focusing on academies and I am extremely happy that I could win the gold medal here. Now that I have completed my graduation, I want to focus on getting in to the National Camp and then hopefully in the Indian team for major events," Ngi told SAI Media after the race.

Ngi's gold medal-winning performance helped Arunachal Pradesh consolidate their third spot in the medals tally with six golds, one silver and two bronze.

Karnataka extended their lead at the top of the table with two gold medals from the wrestling mat in Ambikapur. Rohan Doddamani bagged Karnataka's first gold medal outside the swimming pool when he defeated Rajasthan's Dinesh Solanki by technical superiority in the 60kg Greco Roman final.

Manisha then wrapped up the day for the table toppers with a hard fought 12-8 win by points over Himachal Pradesh's Muskam. Karnataka now has 17 gold, six silver and five bronze medals. Odisha continue to be in second place with nine gold, four silvers and 10 bronze medals.

Meanwhile, Mulayam Kharwar bagged Bihar's first gold medal of the day with a dominant win over Rakesh Meena of Rajasthan in the men's 65kg freestyle final with KV Kemppannavar of Karnataka taking home the bronze medal.

At the international hockey stadium in Raipur, favourites Odisha set up a final clash against Mizoram. In the semi-finals, Odisha hammered Madhya Pradesh 8-0 while Mizoram got the better of Jharkhand 3-2.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Great to see the focus on tribal athletes. Maharashtra's 1-2 finish in the men's 5000m was impressive! But the article mentions the evening session was cancelled due to rain. I hope the organizers had a proper backup plan for the athletes who were preparing for those events.
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Priya S
Karnataka is absolutely dominating the tally! 17 golds is no small feat. Rohan Doddamani and Manisha making the state proud in wrestling. Jai Karnataka! 💪 Also, kudos to Mulayam Kharwar for bringing home Bihar's first gold.
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Rohit P
As a sports fan from Maharashtra, seeing Govind Padekar and Suraj Mashi take gold and silver in the 5000m makes me so proud. Distance running requires incredible grit. Hope they get the recognition and support they need to compete at Asian level next.
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Meera T
The Khelo India Tribal Games is such an important initiative. It gives a platform to so many talented athletes who might otherwise go unnoticed. Nedi's story of coming back after graduation is something many Indian students will relate to. More power to her!
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David E
Interesting to see Odisha and Mizoram in the hockey final. Odisha's 8-0 win is a statement! They've been investing heavily in sports infrastructure. Looks like it's paying off. Should be a great final match.

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