Khelo India Beach Games set to feature about 1000 athletes
With the focus on keeping the youth engaged in sports, the Khelo India Beach Games will be held in Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Daman from May 19 to 24.
Organised under the Sports Competition and Talent Development section of the Khelo India Scheme, the Beach Games will feature football, volleyball, sepak takraw, kabaddi, Pencak Silat and open water swimming. Mallakhamb and Tug of War will be demonstration sports.
Competition is expected to feature about 1000 athletes from across the country.
The government is keen to have fixed venues and a fixed calendar for different Khelo India Games to give talented youth maximum opportunity to gain attention, recognition and get on a pathway to progress.
The government is keen to train the best talent across different levels at world-class centres to achieve both the short term and long terms goals of international excellence.
The corporate sector has assured support in a big way. The government has categorically stated that it was not just the financial support that it sought to achieve with the collaboration of the corporate world, but to generate a healthy sports ecosystem in the country.
To further amplify the intent to support sports, the government is understood to be studying the options of allowing persons of Indian origin to represent the country in sports, in line with the stipulations of the international sports federations.
Apart from its drive for, 'play for India', the government is also ready to open its doors to, 'play in India', to encourage smooth conduct of international sports events in the country to further strengthen the ecosystem.
The sports ministry is proactive in resolving the conflicts in various national federations so that the sports could get back on track and make meaningful progress.
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India Gazette
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- India Gazette
"Tourism will reach new heights in Kutch": PM Modi roots for hosting beach games simultaneously with Rann Utsav
Bhuj (Gujarat) [India], May 26 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the beach games, which recently gained popularity, to be hosted simultaneously with Rann Utsav, which will act as a catalyst in boosting tourism in Kutch. In the recently concluded Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2025, held in Daman and Diu, 811 athletes took part in six medal sports, including pencak silat, sepak-takraw, soccer, volleyball, open sea swimming and kabaddi. Mallakhamb, tug-of-war were the non-medal demonstration sports. Forty-six gold medals were at stake, and 31 states and Union Territories participated in the beach sports carnival. While referencing the success of KIBG 2025, PM Modi believes that if such a tournament is hosted on the coast of Mandvi Beach simultaneously with Rann Utsav, Kutch's tourism will soar to a new level. 'Tourism will grow here. I request Bhupendra bhai and all leaders present here when our Rann Utsav takes place, then why don't we hold beach competitions at the same time? Beach games have gained popularity recently,' PM Modi said on Monday in Bhuj. 'Not long ago, a national competition was held in Diu with thousands of children participating in the event. I want the beach games to take place simultaneously with Rann Utsav regularly. In a way, Kutch will soar to new heights in tourism. If you want any help, I am always present,' PM Modi added. Earlier, PM Modi held a roadshow in Gujarat's Bhuj and later inaugurated multiple development projects worth over Rs 53,400 crore. He received a warm welcome. People waved at him and greeted him enthusiastically. The Prime Minister said that the projects launched today will accelerate progress in power, ports and other infrastructure. The projects from the power sector include transmission projects for evacuating renewable power generated in the Khavda Renewable Energy Park, transmission network expansion, and an ultra-supercritical thermal power plant unit at Tapi. It also includes projects of the Kandla port and multiple road, water and solar projects of the Gujarat government. (ANI)
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
Fishermen from tamil nadu win silver at khelo india beach games
They received no formal coaching, but Robin Ravi and S Bharat, members of Tamil Nadu 's fishing community who smashed their way to a silver at the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2025 last week in Diu, say they got the hang of beach volleyball because "playing on the sand is second nature" to them. "We live on the beach. Walking, working, and playing on the sand is life," says 23-year-old Bharath, who hails from Palavakkam. "We also represented India at international events such as the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Continental Cup in Bangladesh in 2023, winning bronze," says Ravi of Mayiladuthurai. "Our wins have kindled a passion for the sport among young boys and girls from the fishing hamlets." The fishing community has a natural advantage, says A J Martin Sudhakar, veteran volleyball coach and administrator who was also the competition manager for the sport at KIBG 2025. "The community has given us some of the strongest players in the game. Their lifestyle of pulling fishing nets, walking on shifting sand, and constant exposure to the sun builds stamina, balance, and strength needed for beach volleyball. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like O brinde do momento Balinhas Personalizadas Compre já Undo Their lower bodies are already conditioned for the uneven terrain. That's why they excel." Bharat and Robin say the biggest deterrent for them is a lack of funds to train and travel for tournaments. "We were selected in the first round of the Asian Games last year, but because we couldn't afford tickets to attend the second round, we lost the opportunity to take part in the Olympics. Our coach, though, is helping us now," says Bharath, whose father is a plumber. He adds that he and Robin are pursuing a master's degree in hopes of finding a govt job. "If these players get govt jobs, more youngsters from the community will take up the sport professionally." Email your feedback with name and address to
India Gazette
26-05-2025
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Khelo India Beach Games 2025: How Tamil Nadu's fisherman community is fuelling India's beach volleyball growth
Diu [India], May 26 (ANI): Volleyball powerhouse Tamil Nadu became champions in both men's and women's categories at the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2025 in Diu. The South Indian state's dominance in this sport is a routine affair; however, one story stood out from the sand courts--the rise of beach volleyball players from the state's fishing hamlets. Two athletes in particular, Robin Ravi, 23, and Bharat Somu, 22, have emerged from the Palavakkam coastal community to represent India at international events like the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Continental Cup finals in Bangladesh in 2023, winning bronze. On Friday, the duo also won the silver medal in the men's volleyball tournament at the inaugural KIBG. 'We live on the beach. It's our life. Walking, working, and playing on the sand is second nature to us,' Robin and Bharat said unanimously. Their journey, like many others in the fisherman community, began by watching seniors play volleyball in nearby makeshift courts. Both players started young - Robin at 10 and Bharat at 15. With no formal coaching in the beginning, they learned through observation and passion. 'They have been practising on a ground within their own hamlet in Palavakkam. Their dream is to represent India at the Olympics,' said A J Martin Sudhakar, veteran volleyball coach and administrator, who was also the competition manager for the sport at KIBG 2025. Sudhakar was the coach of Pradeep John and Mohan Poothathan, who gave India a ninth-place finish in Volleyball at the 2006 Asian Games. This was Indian volleyball's best-ever finish at the continental event. The fishermen's community has a natural advantage, he said. 'The fisherman community has given us some of the strongest and most resilient players in the game. Their lifestyle--pulling fishing nets, walking on shifting sand, constant exposure to sun--builds the perfect stamina, balance, and strength needed for beach volleyball,' Sudhakar told SAI Media. 'That is why they adapt to beach volleyball faster than most. Their lower bodies are already conditioned for the uneven terrain. Endurance and adaptability to sand are critical. Acclimatisation is part of the game. Fisherman boys adapt faster because they live in this weather. That's a major reason why they excel.' Bharat and Robin are both unemployed despite their international medals. 'Their families are not rich. Their fathers are fishermen and plumbers. But their biggest support has been the freedom to pursue the sport even without jobs. This however can't go on forever,' Sudhakar said. 'If they get government jobs, at least 100-150 more youngsters from the community will take up the sport seriously. 'We are organising a 10-day camp in Chennai from next month, specifically for the fisherman community. These efforts will scale our presence in national and international circuits,' he added. 'The community is very tight-knit. If one succeeds, everyone follows. It's not just volleyball. They play beach football, kabaddi, and even cricket.' Beach volleyball was introduced in the Khelo India platform for the first time this year. 'This is one of the best spectator sports. It can be developed quickly. It's time we support it fully,' Sudhakar, who has been an executive member of the Asian Volleyball Confederation's Beach Council for 12 years, said. Speaking of Tamil Nadu's continuous dominance in indoor or beach volleyball, Sudhakar added, 'We have courts even in schools. Districts like Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai have produced excellent players. 'Other coastal states should also replicate this. European countries are creating artificial sand courts in towns. We don't even need that. We have natural beaches. Just put one foot of sand and start,' Sudhakar, also the General Secretary of Tamil Nadu State Volleyball Association, said. At the Khelo India Beach Games 2025, Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh reached the quarters, before Tamil Nadu, Kerala Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh took over as semi-finalists. 'Jammu & Kashmir players from the police unit came just one day before the match, with no sand court back home. Still, they reached the quarterfinals. That's self-motivation,' continued model from Tamil Nadu is replicable for North Indian states too, he said. It starts with identifying the right environments, investing in basic infrastructure, encouraging youth through schools and universities, and giving financial security to top performers. 'The northern states can start small. You don't need a beach. Just get sand, mark a court, and begin. The Federation must send coaches, hold clinics, and engage with state sports departments. That's the way forward,' he added. Sudhakar believes a national roadmap can change this. 'Conduct seminars, train local coaches, and assign them to regional academies. Bring foreign experts from Brazil, the USA, or Europe for three-month stints. That's how the sport will rise. We don't need snow-covered indoor sand courts like Europe. We have natural beaches--let's use them wisely,' he said. 'The easiest way to grow in global volleyball is through beach volleyball. And this is the best time. We also need to employ these players and give them a future. That's how you build a sports ecosystem,' A J Martin Sudhakar concluded. (ANI)
