(Photo by Khelo India)
- DIU — 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.
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- Pencak silat is a form of Indonesian martial art and it
was great 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 while Kirtana Manojkumar
Acharya of the home team struck gold in the senior female category.
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- A third gold was decided in the pencak silat completion
in the morning session at the Ghoghla Beach. In solo event (artistic), Punjab’s
Aaryan won gold ahead of Odisha’s Sohil Gurung. Pencak silat is an extremely
technical sport with points awarded on artistic forms and creativity.
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- Bendre is the most accomplished player in the region with
a silver and two bronze to his name at international events, no less. He won
the silver in the 2022 Asian championship in Jammu and Kashmir, while his two
bronze came in the 2024 Asian championship in Dubai and the 2024 world
championship in Abu Dhabi.
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- Bendre really hopes these Khelo India Beach Games go a long
way towards promoting tourism in Diu. “That will be good for us. Better economy
will help all sports and the infrastructure,” he said.
Also read: Khelo India Beach Games: Big wins for Goa, Gujarat, Kerala; non-coastal states stay brave in soccer
- 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.
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- In these Games ending May 24, there are six – soccer,
volleyball, kabaddi, open swimming, sepak takraw and pencak silat -- medal
sports and two non-medal sports (mallakhamb and tug-of-war).
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- Pencak silat results
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- 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)
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- 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)
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- 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)
