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Key Points

Hosts Daman and Diu made a golden start at the Khelo India Beach Games, winning two golds in pencak silat. Prasanna Bendre, a seasoned international medalist, and Kirtana Acharya secured victories in their respective categories. Punjab’s Aaryan also claimed gold in the solo artistic event, showcasing the sport’s technical depth. Meanwhile, Lakshadweep dominated beach soccer with a staggering 19-1 win over Gujarat.

Key Points: Daman and Diu Win Double Gold at Khelo India Beach Games Pencak Silat

  • Daman & Diu win 2 golds in pencak silat at Khelo India Beach Games
  • Prasanna Bendre adds to his international medal tally
  • Punjab’s Aaryan secures gold in solo artistic event
  • Lakshadweep crushes Gujarat 19-1 in beach soccer
3 min read

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

Hosts Daman and Diu dominate pencak silat with two golds as Prasanna Bendre and Kirtana Acharya shine at Khelo India Beach Games 2025.

"A better economy will help all sports and the infrastructure – Prasanna Bendre"

Diu, May 20

Hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and 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 and 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, as per the SAI Media press release.

A third gold was decided in the pencak silat competition in the morning session at the Ghoghla Beach. In a 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. A better economy will help all sports and the infrastructure," he said as quoted by the SAI Media press release.

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 and 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 and Daman & Diu), Silver: Raja Das, 397 (West Bengal), Bronze: Ravees Ahmad, 391 (Jammu and Kashmir) and Krishna Narsing Panchal, 382 (Maharashtra)

Key beach volleyball results:

Men: Telangana 2-0 Andaman and Nicobar (walkover), Tamil Nadu 2-0 Daman & Diu; Jammu and Kashmir 2-0 Daman & Diu

Women: Telangana 2-0 Karnataka (walkover); Kerala 2-0 Maharashtra (walkover); Andhra Pradesh 2-0 Karnataka (walkover); Maharashtra 2-0 Daman and Diu.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a proud moment for Daman & Diu! 👏 Prasanna Bendre is making waves internationally too - silver in Asian Championship is no small feat. More power to our athletes from smaller UTs who are proving size doesn't matter when it comes to talent!
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Priya M.
First time hearing about pencak silat - looks like a beautiful mix of martial arts and dance. The beach setting makes it even more spectacular! Hope Doordarshan shows highlights of these events, we need to promote such unique sports more.
A
Arjun S.
While the results are impressive, the one-sided matches in beach soccer (19-1?!) show we need better talent distribution. Maybe Khelo India should focus on grassroots development in all states rather than just a few centers of excellence.
S
Sunita R.
So happy to see Nagaland and Manipur athletes winning medals too! Northeast representation in national sports is growing 💪 The beach games concept is brilliant - combines sports with tourism potential just like Bendre said.
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Vikram J.
The walkovers in volleyball are disappointing. Teams travel all the way to Diu only to not play? Organizers should have backup plans. Otherwise, great initiative by Sports Ministry - beach sports deserve more attention in our country.
N
Neha P.
Kirtana Acharya making Daman & Diu proud in women's category! 🎉 More such events will inspire girls from smaller towns to take up sports. The scenic Ghoghla Beach backdrop must be amazing for both athletes and spectators.

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