Union Sports Minister Mandaviya: Khelo India Beach Games is a platform to showcase talent.
New Delhi: Ghogla Beach, surrounded by the waves of the Arabian Sea, will transform into a sports paradise with over 2,100 participants taking part in the second edition of the Khelo India Beach Games.
According to a press release from SAI Media, these beach games, organized by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, will be held between January 5 and 10 under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India and National Sports Federations. Over 1,100 athletes will compete in eight different sports – volleyball, soccer, sepak takraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb, and tug-of-war. The first six sports will be medal events, with 32 gold medals at stake. In the first edition of the Games, Manipur, Maharashtra, and Nagaland finished first, second, and third in the medal standings. The top three states won an equal number of five gold medals each, but were separated based on the number of silver medals won.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, said, “The first Khelo India Beach Games saw tremendous enthusiasm among the participants. We are opening new platforms for athletes to express themselves and enjoy the sport of their choice. This is in line with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of creating a sports culture so that our youth can become healthy citizens. In 2026, we will see even more new Khelo India events. We want to unite our country through sports and spread joy through sports competitions.”
Dr. Mandaviya also stated that the Khelo India events are in line with the Khelo Bharat policy. He said, “Our endeavor will be to make sports a mass movement and make it a part of the social fabric for upliftment. Events like the Beach Games also serve to showcase the world its natural beauty through sports.” The opening ceremony of KIBG 2026 will be held on Monday evening at the Blue Flag Ghogla Beach. The Administrator of the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, Shri Praful Patel, will be present. The Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, will also be in attendance. Teams have been arriving in sunny Diu since Saturday. This time, 29 states and union territories are participating. On Monday, the first day, the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 will begin with beach kabaddi and beach soccer matches. Last year, Haryana dominated in kabaddi, while Kerala’s men and Odisha’s women won gold medals in soccer.
