The first Beach Games in India were held in Diu, and Madhya Pradesh won, becoming the top team with 18 medals, including 7 golds. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu also won several medals. Lakshadweep surprised everyone by winning the Beach Soccer gold medal against Maharashtra.
The games took place from January 4-11, with 1404 young athletes from all over India competing in various sports like Tug of War, Sea Swimming, Pencak Silat, Mallakhamb, Beach Volleyball, Beach Kabaddi, Beach Soccer, and the new event Beach Boxing.
The event was split into morning and afternoon sessions each day. Union Minister Anurag Thakur praised the event, linking it to Prime Minister Modi’s vision for promoting India’s beaches. The successful Diu Beach Games highlight India’s beautiful but underexplored beaches.
