Chandigarh and Manipur Shine at Khelo India Beach Games 2026
Chandigarh and Manipur Claim Pencak Silat Gold Medals
On Day 3 of the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026, held at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, Chandigarh's Simran and Sonia triumphed over local favorites Anushka Singh and Anshu Kumari in the women's Ganda double final, disappointing the home crowd.
Manipur secured its first gold medal in the men's category of the same event. The KIBG 2026, organized by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, is being conducted under the guidance of the Sports Authority of India and various national sports federations, as stated in a press release from SAI.
This year's Khelo India Beach Games features over 1,100 athletes competing in eight sports, including volleyball, soccer, sepaktakraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb, and tug-of-war. The first six sports are medal events, with a total of 32 gold medals available.
The host state, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, initially celebrated a gold medal in women's Tunggal and aimed to increase their count in the women's Ganda double. However, Simran, who had sustained a knee injury during the semifinals, had other plans. The Punjab Police employee, who previously earned a bronze in Tunggal, partnered with Sonia to clinch victory against Anushka and Anshu with a score of 555-537.
In the men's final, Premchandra Yengkhom and Wahengbam Sudhir Meetei from Manipur defeated Tamil Nadu's Bose Raja Guru and Selvakumar with a score of 555-536.
"This was the final. There was a chance of winning the gold, so I had to risk myself. Five years ago, I had an ACL tear and got operated. In the semifinals today, I had a meniscus injury and had to tape my knee to appear in the final. But all's well that ends well, and we managed to get a gold for Chandigarh," said Simran, who represented India at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Medal Tally and Highlights from Other Sports
After three days of events, the hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu lead the medal tally with one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. Chandigarh, Manipur, and West Bengal have each secured one gold medal.
In Beach Soccer, the defending champions Odisha women's team advanced to the semifinals with an 8-4 victory over Arunachal Pradesh in Group A. Meanwhile, Kerala secured their place in the men's semifinals with a commanding 7-0 win against Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
In Beach Sepaktakraw, which commenced on Wednesday, the Manipur women's team guaranteed a semifinal spot after defeating Bihar 2-1 and Goa 3-0 in their group matches.
Results from Today's Events
Pencak Silat
(Women) Ganda double: Gold - Chandigarh; Silver - Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu; Bronze - Delhi, Karnataka
(Men) Ganda: Gold - Manipur; Silver - Tamil Nadu; Bronze - Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh
Beach Kabaddi
(Women): Pool A - Haryana bt Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 71-5
(Men): Pool A - Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu bt Andhra Pradesh 46-32
Beach Soccer
(Women) Group A: Odisha bt Arunachal Pradesh 8-4; Group B: Gujarat bt Himachal Pradesh 9-0
(Men) Group B: Kerala bt Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 7-0; Karnataka bt Himachal Pradesh 7-3
Beach Sepaktakraw
(Women) Group A: Manipur bt Bihar 2-1; Nagaland bt Goa 3-0; Manipur bt Goa 3-0; Bihar bt Nagaland 3-0
Group B: Delhi bt Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 3-0
(Men) Group A: Delhi bt Rajasthan 3-0; Bihar bt Nagaland 2-1; Bihar bt Rajasthan 3-0
Group B: Manipur bt Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 3-0
Beach Volleyball (Quarterfinals)
(Women): Deepika/Pavithra (TN) bt Yamini/Rishitha (Tel) 21-6, 21-2; Swathi/Dharshini (TN) bt Divya/Janvi 21-18, 21-18; Revathi/Swetha (Pdy) bt Gnanasowendary/Mahalakshmi (Pdy) 21-17, 21-12
(Men): Sawan/Gauns (Goa) bt Divya Sai/Manikantaraju 22-24, 21-16, 15-12; Poonthamizhan/Abhithan (TN) bt Sadik/Amardeep Rana (Guj) 21-12, 21-11.