In January 2026, Karnataka emerged as the overall champions of the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026, the second edition of India’s national multi-sport beach competition, held at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu(DNHDD).
- The KIBG 2026, held from January 5-10, 2026, organised by the UT of DNHDD under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and various national sports federations.
- The first edition of the KIBG was held in May 2025 at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, UT of DNHDD.
Exam Hints:
- Event: Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026
- When? January 5-10, 2026
- Where? Ghoghla Beach, Diu
- Edition: 2nd
- Organised by: Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DNHDD) and Sports Authority of India (SAI)
- Sports: Volleyball, Beach Soccer, Sepaktakraw, Kabaddi, Pencak Silat, Open Water Swimming, Mallakhamb (demonstration), Tug-of-War (demonstration)
- Mascot: ‘Pearl’, a lively dolphin
- Top 3 states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Manipur.
About Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026:
Initiative: KIBG 2026 is part of the Khelo India initiative, launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MYAS) to promote grassroots sports in India.
Sports: Featured six medal events, including Beach Volleyball, Beach Soccer, Sepak Takraw, Beach Kabaddi, Pencak Silat, and Open Water Swimming, alongside demonstration events such as Mallakhamb and Tug-of-War.
Participants: Over 1,100 athletes from 30 states and UTs competed in the event.
Mascot: ‘Pearl’, a lively dolphin, welcomed all athletes and stakeholders of the Games.
Overall Standings: Karnataka emerged as the overall champions of the KIBG 2026, securing a total of 11 medals, including 3 gold, 2 silver, and 6 bronze.
- Tamil Nadu (TN) finished in second place with 8 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze), while Manipur claimed the third spot with 7 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze).
Medal Tally of top 5 States or Union Territories (UTs):
| Rank | State/UT | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karnataka | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | Manipur | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Haryana | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
Highlights of KIBG 2026 :
Swimming: Karnataka dominated Open Water Swimming, winning all three gold medals in the men’s and women’s events.
Star Swimmers: Ashmita Chandra won gold in both the women’s 5 kilometer (km)(1:35:11) and 10 km events, while Dhrupad Ramakrishna claimed gold in the men’s 5 km event.
Sepaktakraw: Manipur won the women’s gold by defeating West Bengal(WB) 2-0, while TN secured the men’s gold by beating Manipur 2-1.
Pencak Silat: Madhya Pradesh (MP) secured all its medals in Pencak Silat, clinching three of the 16 gold medals awarded in the discipline.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS):
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency-Porbandar, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS) – Raksha Khadse (Constituency- Raver, Maharashtra)
