PANAJI
Goa’s Tejas Gauns and Prabal Sawant clinched the men’s beach volleyball gold medal at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026, defeating Tamil Nadu’s Bharat and Rajesh in the final at Ghoghla Beach on Thursday.
The Goan pair won the title with a straight-sets victory, prevailing 21-18, 21-13 to cap a strong showing for the state on day four of the Games.
In the women’s beach volleyball event, Goa lost out on a medal, as Tamil Nadu dominated the category. Tamil Nadu ensured Goa did not sweep the podium by knocking out one Goan pair, which later lost the bronze-medal playoff to another team from the southern state. Tamil Nadu’s Deepika and Pavithra went on to claim the women’s gold medal after defeating Pondicherry in the final.
While Goa celebrated success in the men’s event, Tamil Nadu dominated the overall medal tally on the day through strong performances in women’s beach volleyball and pencak silat, moving to the top of the standings.
The Khelo India Beach Games 2026, organised by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu under the technical supervision of the Sports Authority of India, has drawn over 1,100 athletes competing across eight sports, with 32 gold medals on offer.
