Chandigarh’s Simran and Sonia dashed the hopes of local fans by defeating home favorites Anushka Singh and Anshu Kumari in the women’s Ganda double final during Day 3 of the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 at Ghoghla Beach.
Manipur claimed their first gold of KIBG 2026 in the men’s event. Organized by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 is being held under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India and national sports federations.
This second edition sees over 1,100 participants competing in eight different sports: volleyball, soccer, sepaktakraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb, and tug-of-war. Of these, the first six are medal sports, with a total of 32 gold medals available.
The hosts, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, had opened their gold medal account in women’s Tunggal and were aiming to double that in women’s Ganda double. However, Simran, who suffered a knee injury during the semifinals, had different plans.
The Punjab Police employee, who won a bronze medal in Tunggal on Tuesday, teamed up with Sonia to clinch victory in the final against Anushka and Anshu with a score of 555-537. In the men’s final, Premchandra Yengkhom and Wahengbam Sudhir Meetei triumphed over Tamil Nadu’s Bose Raja Guru and Selvakumar by a narrow margin of 555-536.
“This was the final. There was a chance of winning the gold, so I had to risk myself. Five years ago, I had an ACL tear and got operated. In the semifinals today, I had a meniscus injury and had to tape my knee to appear in the final. But all’s well that ends well, and we managed to get a gold for Chandigarh,” stated Simran, who represented India in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
After three days of competition, hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu lead the medal tally with one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. Chandigarh, Manipur, and West Bengal have also secured one gold each.
In KIBG 2026 Beach Soccer, defending champions Odisha women secured a semi-final berth with an 8-4 victory over Arunachal Pradesh in Group A. Kerala reached the last four in the men’s event with a 7-0 win against Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in their second match.
In Beach Sepaktakraw, which started on Wednesday, Manipur women ensured their semi-final spot after victories over Bihar (2-1) and Goa (3-0) in their group matches.
The hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu maintain their lead in the medal tally after three days of competition, followed by Chandigarh, Manipur, and West Bengal.