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India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"A new chapter in Khelo India": Senior official as Diu hosts first Khelo India Beach Games
Diu (Daman and Diu) [India], May 21 (ANI): The first-ever edition of the Khelo India Beach Games is underway in Diu, bringing a fresh wave of excitement and sporting spirit to the coastal town. The multi-disciplinary event marks a significant expansion of the Khelo India initiative into beach sports, promoting diverse formats. Speaking with ANI on the occasion, Arun T, Sports Secretary of the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli, highlighted the importance of the event. 'The Government of India, under the Sports Authority of India, has launched the first edition of the Khelo India Beach Games,' he said. 'The interest, enthusiasm, and attention that sports have received under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi (Narendra Modi) is huge. Certainly, adding a new chapter to the Khelo India movement will give further impetus to the sports infrastructure,' he added. Earlier, Kirtana Acharya, Prasanna Bendre and Princess Thomas stood at the top podium ranking following their gold medal triumphs in different categories of Pencak Silat at the Khelo India Beach Games 2025. Pencak Silat is a form of Indonesian martial art, and it was great to see a Union Territory hemmed by the Arabian Sea excelling in the open competition at these Games. Hometown favourite, Kirtana Manojkumar Acharya, struck gold in the senior female category. Prasanna Bendre of Daman and Diu, won the gold in the senior men's tunggal (artistic) event. Bendre is the most accomplished player in the region, with a silver medal and two bronze medals from international events. He won the silver in the 2022 Asian championship in Jammu and Kashmir, while his two bronze medals came in the 2024 Asian championship in Dubai and the 2024 world championship in Abu Dhabi. Bendre believes the sport's inclusion in Khelo India is 'beneficial' for the athletes. Khelo India Beach Games are being held from May 19 to 24. (ANI)
The Print
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Print
Khelo India Beach Games 2025: Bendre, Acharya lead hosts' golden charge in pencak silat
It was Bendre who first lit up the arena with a commanding performance in the senior men's tunggal (artistic) category. The first gold medals of the Games were decided in pencak silat competition with Daman & Diu winning two of the first three on offer at the scenic Ghoghla Beach. Diu, May 20 (PTI) Prasanna Bendre and Kirtana Acharya bagged top honours in the pencak silat to make a golden start for hosts Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu on Day 2 of the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games here on Tuesday. Showcasing fluidity, precision, and control in his routine, the experienced martial artist scored 420 points to take the first gold of the Games for the hosts. His teammate, Acharya followed it up in style, dominating the senior female tunggal event with a well-executed performance that fetched her 408 points and the second gold for the Union Territory. For Bendre, the victory added to an already impressive resume. A silver medallist at the 2022 Asian Championship in Jammu and Kashmir and a double bronze winner at the 2024 Asian and World Championships in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively, Bendre said the Games had the potential to leave a lasting legacy. 'These Games can help boost tourism in Diu. That will strengthen the economy and help improve infrastructure for sports,' he said, hopeful that the exposure would open new doors for local athletes. The only other gold medal of the morning session in pencak silat went to Punjab's Aaryan, who topped the senior male solo creative category with an impressive score of 560. Odisha's Sohil Gurung took the silver with 542 points, while Maharashtra's Vaibhav Valmik Kale (541) and Nagaland's Kevin (525) rounded off the podium. The pencak silat competition, making its debut in the Khelo India Beach Games, is judged on artistic presentation and creativity, rather than combat, and is a test of discipline and body control. The participation and success of the hosts' team added a special buzz to the opening contests on the beach. Beach soccer ======== Meanwhile, the beach soccer tournament, which had started a day earlier, continued with a string of lopsided group matches. Lakshadweep men's team thrashed Gujarat 19-1 in one of the most dominant results of the day, while Odisha women's team steamrolled Madhya Pradesh 18-0 in their opener. Beach volleyball ========== In beach volleyball, the day saw several walkovers and easy wins. Telangana men's team received a walkover against Andaman & Nicobar, while Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir both posted straight-set wins over the host team. In the women's section, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra all won comfortably, mostly via walkovers, underlining the need for greater depth and preparedness among participating teams. The first edition of the Khelo India Beach Games will conclude on Saturday. The Games feature six medal sports — beach soccer, volleyball, kabaddi, open water swimming, sepak takraw, and pencak silat — along with two demonstration sports, mallakhamb and tug-of-war. PTI TAP PDS PDS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
KIBG 2025: Pencak Silat gold medallists Kirtana, Prasanna, Thomas express delight after special win
Diu (Daman and Diu) [India], May 21 (ANI): Kirtana Acharya, Prasanna Bendre and Princess Thomas, who stood at the top podium ranking following their gold medal triumphs in different categories of Pencak Silat at the Khelo India Beach Games 2025, described their feelings and laid out their future goals and ambitions. Pencak Silat is a form of Indonesian martial art, and it was great to see a Union Territory hemmed by the Arabian Sea excelling in the open competition at these Games. Hometown favourite, Kirtana Manojkumar Acharya, struck gold in the senior female category. Kirtana expressed her delight and told ANI, 'I feel good. It was a pleasant experience for me. It has come after a lot of hard work and consistency. Thanks to my coach, who always supported me.' While trying to express her feelings of claiming gold in front of her home crowd, Kirtana is targeting international medals, emphasising the importance of KIBG for athletes. 'I cannot explain this feeling. It is a very proud moment for me to represent my state. I cannot express much in words. I am proud that I can perform with good elegance and a smile,' Kirtana said. 'My next target is winning international medals, and I am going for it. It is a very good opportunity for us athletes. It is important to perform and fight in such competitions,' she concluded. Another local hero, Prasanna Bendre of Daman and Diu, won the gold in the senior men's tunggal (artistic) event. Bendre is the most accomplished player in the region, with a silver medal and two bronze medals from international events. He won the silver in the 2022 Asian championship in Jammu and Kashmir, while his two bronze medals came in the 2024 Asian championship in Dubai and the 2024 world championship in Abu Dhabi. Bendre believes the sport's inclusion in Khelo India is 'beneficial' for the athletes. 'It is a very proud moment for me. Khelo India is a very good platform. Since Pencak Silat has been added to Khelo India, it will be very beneficial for us. It is a big thing to win a gold medal at such a big stage. I am very happy about it,' he said. Princess Thomas, another gold medal winner in Pencak Silat, expressed her emotions and said, 'It feels amazing, it feels exhilarating because this is my first gold medal. It was a nervy affair, but it was great and amazing. I am speechless. It was nice because I wasn't expecting it to be that way.' (ANI)
