Diu, Jan 4 (IANS) Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Khelo India Beach Games provide athletes with a unique platform to express their skills on a naturally beautiful surface, while also promoting a strong sporting culture across the country.

The second edition of the Khelo India Beach Games will be held at the Blue Flag Ghoghla Beach here from January 5 to 10, with more than 2,100 participants competing across eight sports. The Games are being organised by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India and national sports federations.

More than 1,100 athletes will compete in beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach sepak takraw, beach kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb and tug of war. The first six will be medal sports, with a total of 32 gold medals on offer.

Manipur, Maharashtra and Nagaland finished first, second and third respectively in the medal standings of the inaugural edition. All three states won five gold medals each, with the final rankings decided by the number of silver medals.

“The first Khelo India Beach Games generated a lot of excitement among participants. We are creating new platforms for athletes to express themselves and enjoy the sports they love. This aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a strong sporting culture so that our youth grow into healthy citizens,” Dr Mandaviya said.

He added that more Khelo India events will be introduced in 2026, with the aim of uniting the nation through sports and spreading joy through healthy competition.

The Union Minister also said the Khelo India events are in line with the Khelo Bharat Niti. “Our endeavour is to make sports a mass movement and an integral part of the social fabric. Events like the Beach Games also help showcase India’s natural beauty to the world through sports,” he said.

The opening ceremony of the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 will be held on Monday evening at Ghoghla Beach. Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, Shri Praful Patel, and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha will be present on the occasion.

Teams have begun arriving in Diu since Saturday, with 29 states and Union Territories taking part. Competition on the opening day will begin with beach kabaddi and beach soccer matches. In the previous edition, Haryana dominated beach kabaddi, while Kerala men and Odisha women won gold medals in beach soccer.

The Khelo India Beach Games are held under the sports competition and talent development vertical of the Khelo India Scheme. The inaugural edition was conducted in Diu from May 19 to 24, 2025. The initiative aims to promote beach sports and enhance the popularity of disciplines played on sand and in water bodies.

–IANS

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