Diu, May 21 (IANS) Haryana and Delhi pulled off stunning victories over traditional Sepak Takraw powerhouse Manipur in the women’s and men’s trio team finals respectively at Khelo India Beach Games 2025 on Wednesday.

At the beautiful Ghoghla beach, both finals witnessed an hour-long break due to rain.

In the women’s final, Haryana clinched a 2-1 win against the seasoned Manipur side — regarded as a stronghold of Sepak Takraw in India. Led by captain 20-year-old Monika, the Haryana women’s Sepak Takraw team brimmed with enthusiasm and youthful vigour to clinch the top honours. “I am very happy to get this win for the team and bag the gold. We knew they were strong but didn’t lose our upper hand,” said Monika after the match.

She credited their victory to their rigorous outdoor practice in towns like Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, and Rohtak. “We train on outdoor grounds, which really helped us adapt to the beach surface. This platform will give us a big boost,” she said.

In the men’s category, Delhi overcame Manipur 2-1 in a gripping final. Delhi team captain Sandeep Kumar, 35, revealed how the sudden change in conditions proved crucial. “We lost the first regu before the rains, but the weather turned in our favour,” said Sandeep, who practices with the team near Majnu Ka Tila beside the Yamuna River in the national capital.

“The Khelo India Beach Games is a great opportunity. We came with a clear goal to win gold. Manipur has always been a strong opponent, but we are strong too. Both teams have shared many golds at the nationals,” he added.

Two upsets mean two silvers for Manipur.

Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh won bronze in the women’s event, while Assam and Tamil Nadu bagged bronze in the men’s event.

Results:

Team Trio

Men: Final: Delhi 2-1 Manipur; Bronze: Assam, Tamil Nadu

Women: Final: Haryana 2-1 Manipur; Bronze: Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland

–IANS

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