22nd National MTB C’ship concludes
ITANAGAR, 17 Feb: Kale Asawari from Maharashtra and Taitus Ch Marak from Meghalaya won the women’s and men’s elite downhill events of the 22nd National Mountain Terrain Biking (MTB) Championship, 2026, which concluded in Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district on Sunday.
Asawari and Marak won the races with times of 03:45.509 and 02:09.157, respectively.
The second and third positions in the women’s category of the event were won by Haomom Urbashi Devi (04:01.946) from Manipur and Thilothamma (05:44.714) from Tamil Nadu, respectively.
In the men’s category of the event, Mali Virendra (02:11.094) from Maharashtra and Meban Aiboklang Suiam (02:13.255) from Meghalaya secured the second and the third position, respectively.
Khushiman Gharti from Army Adventure won the elite men’s Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event (1 lap), followed by Tsewang Norboo from Ladakh and Shiven from Haryana at second and third position, respectively.
The trio of Gharti, Norboo and Shiven also secured the first, second and third position, respectively, in the elite men’s Cross Country Time Trial (XCT) event.
In the Cross-Country Elimination (XCE) event, Tsewang Norboo from Ladakh secured the first position, while Dhananjay ST from Karnataka andAyush Negi from Indian Air Force won the second and the third position, respectively.
Maharashtra and Kerala won the first and second position, respectively of the elite Cross-Country Relay (XCR) of 6 laps.
In the women’s elite single lap Cross-Country Time Trial (XCT) event, Star Narzary from Karnataka, Soman Pranita from Maharashtra and Ratnoji Manali from Maharashtra secured the first, second and third position, respectively.
In the women’s elite 5-lap Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event, Star Narzary from Karnataka, Soman Pranita from Maharashtra and Joshna Joy from Kerala won the first, second and third position, respectively.
In the women’s elite Cross-Country Elimination (XCE)event, Pavitra Kurtakoti from Karnataka, Sandhya Mourya from Madhya Pradesh and Joshna Joy from Kerala won the first, second and third position, respectively.
Jumgam Kakki from Arunachal Pradesh won the second position in the junior men’s Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event of 4 laps.
The first position in this category was won by Sonawane Yogesh from Maharashtra, while Mizoram’s Lalrinsanga secured the third position.
Lijum Ete, also from Arunachal, won the second position in the sub-junior boys’ Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event of 4 laps.
The first and the second positions in this category were won by Om Sharma from Himachal Pradesh and Antony Raj from Tamil Nadu, respectively.
Arunachal Cycling Association vice president Wangdi Dorjee Khrimey said the event was one of the best MTB championships held in the country, and that the Cycling Federation of India was highly impressed by it. The track was designed by Ahondo Menjo, a professional MTB rider from Roing.
“Arunachal, especially Roing, is naturally endowed with terrains for such races. The downhill track was absolutely amazing – the take off ramps for the jumps and all. We couldn’t ask for better than this,” he said.
The cyclists were also very happy with the track, he said.
“A girl cyclist from Karnataka, who had earlier competed in MTB China, said that the track was slightly less dangerous than China’s, but as good as China’s. She said nowhere in entire India had they ever competed in a track like this one in Roing,” he said.
He also acknowledged the support from the state government in conducting the event.
The theme song for the 22nd NMTBC was written and sung by Chehakti Michichi, he informed.
The opening ceremony was attended by Nagaland Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along, Arunachal’s Tourism Minister PD Sona, Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom, Dambuk MLA Puinyyo Apum, Youth Affairs Director Ramesh Linggi, and Sports Director Tadar Apa, among others.
The complete results:
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial, 1 lap (C1) (Men’s Elite)
Gold: Khushiman Gharti, Army Adventure(0:14:12.960), Silver: Tsewang Norboo, Ladakh (0:14:42.042), Bronze: Shiven, Haryana (0:15:26.690)
Men Elite XCO – Cross-Country Olympic (6 laps)
Gold: Khushiman Gharti, Army Adventure (01:38:35.075), Silver: Tsewang Norboo, Ladakh (01:38:47.765), Bronze: Shiven, Haryana (01:40:53.486)
XCE – Cross-Country Elimination
Gold: Tsewang Norboo, Ladakh, Silver: Dhananjay ST, Karnataka, Bronze: Ayush Negi, Indian Air Force.
XCR – Cross-Country Relay 6 laps (C1) Elite
Gold: Maharashtra [02:12:26.214], Silver: Kerala (02:30:43.425), Bronze: Nil
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (C1) Women’s Elite
Gold: Star Narzary Karnataka (00:20:24.382), Silver: Soman Pranita, Maharashtra (00:21:53.253), Bronze: Ratnoji Manali, Maharashtra (00:23:08.670),
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 5 laps (C1) Women’s Elite
Gold: Star Narzary, Karnataka (01:54:35.041), Silver: Soman Pranita, Maharashtra (02:04:26.221), Bronze: Joshna Joy, Kerala (02:06:25.252)
XCE – Cross-Country Elimination [Women’s Elite]
Gold: Pavitra Kurtakoti, Karnataka Silver: Sandhya Mourya, Madhya Pradesh, Bronze: Joshna Joy, Kerala
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 5 laps (C1), (Men)
Gold: Thotmachan Awungshi, Indian Air Force (01:24:26.967), Silver: Ayush Negi Indian Air Force, Bronze: Dhananjay ST, Karnataka
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (Men Jr)
Gold: Sonawane Yogesh, Maharashtra (17:09.549), Silver: Shivesh Bisht, Delhi (18:02.958), Bronze: Satyadeep Sunam, West Bengal (18:19.256)
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 4 laps (C1) (Men Jr)
Gold: Sonawane Yogesh, Maharashtra, Silver: Jumgam Kakki, Arunachal Pradesh, Bronze: Lalrinsanga, Mizoram.
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (C1) (Women Jr)
Gold: Sowbarnika S, Tamil Nadu (23:08.047), Silver: Avni Daryal, Uttarakhand (24:08.670), Bronze: Bagul Tanuja, Maharashtra (26:30.429)
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 3 laps (C1) (Women Jr)
Gold: Sowbarnika S, Tamil Nadu, Sil: Avni Daryal, Uttarakhand Br: Bagul Tanuja (Maharashtra)
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (C2) (Sub-Jr Boys)
Gold: Pranesh S, Tamil Nadu (09:22.363), Silver: Antony Raj, Tamil Nadu (09:41.377), Bronze: Ashwin Rauyhan, Uttarakhand (09:48.585)
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 4 laps (Sub Junior Boys)
Gold: Om Sharma, Himachal Pradesh (42:48.356), Silver: Lijum Ete, Arunachal Pradesh, Bronze: Antony Raj, Tamil Nadu.
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (C2) (Sub-Jr Girls)
Gold: Hashini K, Tamil Nadu (12:58.338), Silver: Maiza Backer, Kerala (13:04.265), Bronze: Smrithii K, Tamil Nadu (14:50.286).
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic 4 laps (C2) (Sub Junior Girls)
Gold: Hashini K, Tamil Nadu (57:32.217), Silver: Maiza Backer NC, Kerala, Bronze: Soundarya Antapur, Karnataka
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial 1 lap (C2) (Youth Boys)
Gold: Abinav G, Tamil Nadu (09:40.606), Silver: Krisnaa TD, Tamil Nadu (10:21.731), Bronze: Anunay Joshi, Uttarakhand (11:07.359)
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic, 3 laps (C2) (Youth Boys)
Gold: Abinav G, Tamil Nadu, Silver: Krisnaa TD, Tamil Nadu, Bronze: Sachien Dev P, Tamil Nadu
XCT – Cross-Country Time Trial, 1 lap (C2) (Youth Girls)
Gold: Sruthika R, Tamil Nadu, (00:14:24.753), Silver: Sunmitha N, Tamil Nadu (00:14:29.408), Bronze: Aira Saran, Karnataka (00:14:50.893)
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic, 3 laps (C2) (Youth Girls)
Gold: Sruthika R, Tamil Nadu (45:44.730), Silver: Sunmitha N, Tamil Nadu, Bronze: Priyanka Lamani, Karnataka
DHI -Downhill (Men’s Elite)
Gold: Taitus Ch Marak, Meghalaya (02:09.157), Silver: Mali Virendra Mukundraj, Maharashtra (02:11.094), Bronze: Meban Aiboklang Suiam, Meghalaya (02:13.255).
DHI – Downhill (Women’s Elite)
Gold: Kale Asawari, Maharashtra (03:45.509), Silver: Haomom Urbashi Devi, Manipur (04:01.946), Bronze: Thilothamma Sudhakar, Tamil Nadu (05:44.714)
