KIBG 2026: Local Favourite Princess Alexander Thomas, West Bengal's Raja Das Clinch Tunggal Gold in Pencak Silat

Diu, January 6: Home favourite Princess Alexander Thomas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu opened the hosts' gold medal account at the Kh...

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Diu, January 6: Home favourite Princess Alexander Thomas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu opened the hosts' gold medal account at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 with a composed victory in the women's Tunggal category of Pencak Silat, while Raja Das of West Bengal claimed the men's Tunggal gold at Ghoghla Beach on Tuesday.

Princess Alexander Thomas produced a confident performance in the women's final to defeat Bhoomika Jitendra Jain of Madhya Pradesh, giving the hosts a perfect start on the second day of competition.

In the men's final, West Bengal's Raja Das upset last edition gold medallist Prasanna Bendre of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, displaying superior technical control to deny the home team a double gold.

Multi-Sport Showcase on Diu's Shores

The Khelo

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

The second edition of the Games features over 1,100 participants competing across eight disciplines - volleyball, soccer, sepak takraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb and tug-of-war.

Of these, the first six are medal sports, with 32 gold medals on offer during the competition.

Hosts Shine, Competition Intensifies

With two medals up for grabs in Pencak Silat on Tuesday, the hosts were in contention to replicate last year's sweep. Princess Alexander Thomas ensured a gold in the women's category, but Raja Das's win in the men's Tunggal prevented a clean sweep for the home side.

Beach Kabaddi: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Impress

In Beach Kabaddi, Haryana women continued their strong run in Pool A with a convincing 47-26 win over Maharashtra. The contest was evenly poised in the opening 10 minutes before Haryana capitalised on fatigue in the sand to take control.

In the men's section, Uttar Pradesh proved too strong for Andhra Pradesh in Pool A, winning 43-34. Uttar Pradesh raiders frequently collected multiple touch points in single raids, though Andhra Pradesh fought back with quality raids of their own.

Beach Soccer: Big Wins for Kerala and Hosts

Beach Soccer witnessed several one-sided encounters. In the men's competition, favourites Kerala began their campaign with a dominant 15-2 win over Karnataka, with all four outfield first-team players scoring hat-tricks. Hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were equally ruthless, thrashing Himachal Pradesh 15-1.

In the women's section, Gujarat halted Himachal Pradesh's momentum with a comprehensive 9-0 win in Group B. Himachal Pradesh, making their debut at the Games, had earlier stunned the hosts with a 7-5 victory in their opening match on Monday.

Volleyball Action Begins

Group matches also commenced in Beach Volleyball, with teams from Goa, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh registering victories to make a winning start to their campaigns.