Diu, Jan 9 (IANS) Prasanna Behindre, who won a gold medal in pencak silat, on Friday hailed Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) for providing a platform for youngsters. The Khelo India Beach Games, currently being held in Daman and Diu, has come out as a great opportunity for these sportspersons to showcase their talent and hope to make it to the international stage from there.

"Winning a gold medal is a proud moment for the UT; I have won a medal for the UT, and I am very happy. I hope to win more medals in the future. The experience was very good; I enjoyed it a lot, and it was a new experience for me. Khelo India is giving us a platform like beach games—it is such a big platform.

"It is making us feel like we are at an international level as athletes, and it feels good. We hope to improve our training through this platform as we want to achieve more in the future, not only at the national level, but also at the international level," Prasanna Behindre, a Pencak Silat athlete who won a gold medal, told IANS.

Sohail Gurung from Odisha, who participated in the 55-60 kg weight category and won a silver medal, showcased his excitement and talked about how the Games are providing a big platform.

"My name is. I played in the 55-60 category in the event and won a silver medal. Regarding winning a silver medal, I am happy and sad at the same time; I couldn't get a gold medal in one step, but next time I will try to get a gold medal. Khelo India is a good platform where everyone is getting a good scope. This is a new beach game and the first time I have played on the beach. It was a good first-time experience. Usually, we play on the mat, and it requires a lot of stamina and power to play on the sand. Overall, it was a good first-time experience, and next time I will try to play better," Sohail Gurung told IANS.

The Khelo India Beach Games 2026, organised by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, is being held under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India and national sports federations.

The second edition of Khelo India Beach Games 2026 is witnessing over 1100 participants compete in eight different sports -- volleyball, soccer, sepaktakraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, Open water swimming, mallakhamb, and tug-of-war. The first six will be medal sports, and 32 gold medals are up for grabs.

--IANS

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