At the first Khelo India Beach Games, Manipur and Nagaland fighters displayed their martial arts skills by winning gold medals in pencak silat on Thursday, while Maharashtra swimmer Diksha Yadav expanded her collection by winning the open sea swimming competition for the second time in a row. In Indonesian martial arts, the northeastern states left their mark. Manipur won two gold medals with Thounaojam Rita Chanu in the senior female class A 45-50kg division and Dolly Leishangthem in the senior female under-45kg category.
Jon’s victory in the senior male class A 45–50 kg final and Like Kibani’s victory in the senior female class C 55–60 kg category helped Nagaland duplicate this accomplishment. Rita Chanu overcame Uttarakhand’s Gaytri Negi with an 18-9 triumph, while Leishangthem put up a thrilling display, defeating Chandigarh’s Reena 13-12 in a hotly contested final. In an all-northeast final, Kibani defeated Hijam Merina Devi of Manipur 26-17, while Jon defeated Ramchandra Deepak Badak of Maharashtra 22-15 for Nagaland.
Pencak silat is the most significant discipline at the beach games in India’s northeastern region, with 28 out of 46 gold medals being contested in this discipline. Maharashtra’s Diksha Yadav won her second gold medal in open water swimming, while Prasanna Narendra Bendre won his second individual pencak silat gold in the senior male under-45kg category. Maharashtra leads the overall medal tally, with victories across multiple disciplines. The final day of events will feature sepak takraw, kabaddi, soccer, and volleyball competitions at the Ghoghla Beach venue in Diu.
