Khelo India Beach Games 2025: Golden day for hosts Daman & Diu on Day 1 of pencak silat competition

Diu, May 20 (IANS) Hosts Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu had a golden start on Day 2 of the first Khelo India Beach Games in Diu on Tuesday. The first golds of the Games were decided in pencak silat competition with Daman & Diu, winning two of the first three.

Pencak silat is a form of Indonesian martial art and it was great see a Union Territory hemmed by the Arabian Sea excelling in the open competition at these Games. Prasanna Narendra Bendre of Daman & Diu won the gold in the senior men’s tunggal (artistic) event while Kirtana Manojkumar Acharya of the home team struck gold in the senior female category.

A third gold was decided in the pencak silat completion in the morning session at the Ghoghla Beach. In solo event (artistic), Punjab’s Aaryan won gold ahead of Odisha’s Sohil Gurung. Pencak silat is an extremely technical sport with points awarded on artistic forms and creativity.

Bendre is the most accomplished player in the region with a silver and two bronze to his name at international events, no less. He won the silver in the 2022 Asian championship in Jammu and Kashmir, while his two bronze came in the 2024 Asian championship in Dubai and the 2024 world championship in Abu Dhabi.

Bendre really hopes these Khelo India Beach Games go a long way towards promoting tourism in Diu. “That will be good for us. Better economy will help all sports and the infrastructure,” he said.

The beach soccer competition started on Monday and there was a spate of one-sided group matches in both men’s and women’s competitions. Lakshadweep recorded one of the biggest wins when their men thrashed Gujarat 19-1. Odisha women blanked Madhya Pradesh 18-0.

In these Games ending May 24, there are six – soccer, volleyball, kabaddi, open swimming, sepak takraw and pencak silat -- medal sports and two non-medal sports (mallakhamb and tug-of-war).

Pencak silat results

Solo Creative Senior Male: Gold: Aaryan with score of 560 (Punjab), Silver: Sohil Gurung, 542 (Odisha), Bronze: Vaibhav Valmik Kale, 541 (Maharashtra) and Kevin, 525 (Nagaland)

Tunggal Senior Female: Gold: Kirtana Manojkumar Acharya with score of 408 (Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu), Silver: Bhoomikajiten Drajain, 397 (Madhya Pradesh), Bronze: Edwina Lhinghoithem Hanghal, 387 (Nagaland) and Dolly Leishangthem, 380 (Manipur)

Tunggal Senior Male: Gold: Prasanna Narendra Bendre with score of 420 (Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu), Silver: Raja Das, 397 (West Bengal), Bronze: Ravees Ahmad, 391 (Jammu and Kashmir) and Krishna Narsing Panchal, 382 (Maharashtra)

--IANS