Punjab Newsline, Sports :
Thrilling contests at Ghoghla Beach in Diu; finals lineup decided in beach soccer and volleyball
At the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 being held at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, Haryana’s women’s team and Delhi’s men’s team delivered impressive performances to clinch gold medals in the Sepak-Takraw finals. With these victories, Bihar’s hopes of winning a gold medal in the sport came to an end.
In the women’s Sepak-Takraw final, Haryana staged a strong comeback to defeat Bihar 2–1. After losing the opening regu, the Haryana team bounced back with determination and won the next two regu to seal the match. The contest lasted about one hour and 15 minutes and kept spectators on the edge of their seats. In the men’s final, Delhi dominated proceedings and defeated Bihar in straight sets, 2–0, to claim the title.
In beach soccer, defending champions Odisha registered a commanding 7–0 victory over debutants Himachal Pradesh in the women’s semifinal to book a place in the final. Srijana Tamang, Satyabati Khadia, and Khundongbam Ambalika scored two goals each to play key roles in Odisha’s emphatic win. In the second women’s semifinal, Gujarat made a flying start by scoring four goals in the first quarter, which proved decisive in their 6–3 win over Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal skipper Giani Ramching Mara scored one goal in each of the three quarters, but lacked sufficient support from her teammates in attack.
In beach volleyball, Tamil Nadu have an opportunity to win gold medals in both the men’s and women’s categories. In the women’s semifinal, the Tamil Nadu pair of Deepika and Pavithra came back after dropping the first set to defeat teammates Swathi and Dharshini and advance to the final. They will face Pondicherry’s Revathi and Swetha in the gold medal match. The men’s final will be contested between Tamil Nadu’s Bharat and Rajesh and Goa’s Sawan and Gauns.
The Khelo India Beach Games 2026 are being organised by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. The event is being conducted under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India and the respective national sports federations. More than 1,100 athletes are competing across eight sports, with 32 gold medals up for grabs in the second edition of the Games.