Diu, May 22 -- It was year 2000 when a young Jimi Devi Okram stood beside a dusty field in West Imphal's Singjamei district, watching her seniors practice a curious sport with acrobatic kicks and flying reflexes, according to a release from SAI media.

The National Games had just been held in Manipur in 1999. Two and a half decades later, Jimi, 38, stands tall as one of the senior-most players in Sepak Takraw at the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games in Diu.

The Manipuri athlete was raised by a widowed mother and later supported by an equally determined elder sister. "My mother always told me, 'Go play if it makes you happy.'" That early encouragement became her purpose. Jimi lost her mother, too, but never her resolve. "My mom always use...