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Hosts Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & 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 & Diu, winning two of the first three, according to the SAI Media Release.
Pencak silat is a form of Indonesian martial art, and it was great to 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. At the same time, Kirtana Manojkumar Acharya of the home team struck gold in the senior female category. 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 a highly 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 medals to his name at international events. He won the silver in the 2022 Asian championship in Jammu and Kashmir, while his two bronzes 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 from the SAI Media 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. There are six medal sports in these Games, ending May 24: soccer, volleyball, kabaddi, open swimming, sepak takraw, and pencak silat, 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 & 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 & Daman and 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 & 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 & Diu. (ANI)
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