RAIPUR, March 25: 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.
Dhoneesh clocked 2:03.55s, nearly seven seconds faster than state-mate Keerthan Sharat (2:10.99s), who finished second.
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. .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. (PTI)
