Stars align on Diu's shores for inaugural Khelo India Beach Games opening ceremony
If someone is flying out to Diu for a getaway between May 19 and 24, they won't be able to ignore the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) even if they tried. Almost every 100 metres, one can see hoardings of the inaugural edition planted along the Airport Road. Faces of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful Patel and others graced the posters with the statement Khel ke sitare, Diu ke kinare (Stars of the games, by Diu's shore) splashed underneath.
On Monday evening, by the shores of Ghoghla Beach, the opening ceremony of the KIBG 2025 was a grand affair. The whole programme had a patriotic tinge to it, with the singers prompting the crowd – consisting mostly of the athletes themselves – chant Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Maataram ever so often.
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Energetic tunes were played – including cult classics like Rang De Basanti and Dangal's title tracks – which compelled the crowd to shake a leg and wave the tricolour in their hands with great fervour.
In attendance were dignitaries like Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Patel, with the former making an entrance on A.R. Rahman's Jai Ho.
Artists perform dance during opening ceremony of Khelo India Beach Games 2025 at Ghoghla Beach, located on Diu Island, a union territory in India on May 19, 2025. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP/ The Hindu
'I see the Diu fort lit up. In the sea, our fishermen brothers have decked up the boats. The waves are the source of excitement and the sands give us energy,' Mandaviya said, speaking highly of the preparation done for the Games – the first under the Khelo India initiative. Moreover, the minister revealed plans of making Diu the venue for the Khelo India Beach Games for years to come.
The ceremony also had all the participating States and Union Territories do a parade of their contingents, quite similar to the Olympics. The loudest cheers were reserved for host Daman and Diu and Gujarat. And the evening was capped off by a show of fireworks, as the athletes dispersed to prepare for what would be an action-packed next few days.
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