Srinagar, Aug 20 (NationPress) The nation’s top athletes are set to compete for 24 gold medals during the inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival at the renowned Dal Lake. Over 400 sportspersons will participate in various events including rowing, canoeing, and kayaking over the three-day festival.

The Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 marks the first comprehensive Open-age category championships featuring all 14 kayaking and canoeing events alongside 10 rowing events—all of which are Olympic disciplines. To enhance the appeal of the Water Games, there will be three demonstration events: water skiing, shikhara boat spring, and dragon boat racing.

A total of 36 states and Union Territories are expected to participate, with keen interest focused on competitors from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala.

“With the Services team not participating, it will be interesting to see how the states perform against each other. The course has been meticulously designed to meet all international standards, and we are ready for the festival,” stated Bilquis Mir, the competition manager and an Olympic judge.

This festival is a new addition to the Khelo India calendar, which has included two new events in 2025. The Khelo India Beach Games occurred in Diu in May. According to the Khelo Bharat Niti, both the Water Games and Beach Games aim to promote sports and boost tourism.

Suhani Meena, a water sports athlete from Madhya Pradesh, expressed her excitement about competing in Kashmir. “This is a remarkable opportunity for athletes like us who have limited chances to participate in national-level competitions. The Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 will provide a platform for us to excel,” she said.

Recent national competitions held in Tehri and Bhopal served as qualifiers for kayaking and canoeing, with the top performers from those events set to compete here.

Arjun Lal Jat, an Army rower representing Delhi, is among the main attractions. Having participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and secured a silver medal in the 2022 Asian Games, he remarked, “This is my first time at a Khelo India event; I’m excited to compete in the men's single scull. I hope all teams perform their best. The support from the Government of India for Khelo India is commendable, and such events are crucial for athletes from Jammu and Kashmir to gain international recognition.”

The Water Games will feature a balanced representation of male and female athletes, with 202 female competitors among the 409 athletes vying for medals. The largest contingents will come from Madhya Pradesh (44), Haryana (37), Odisha (34), and Kerala (33), while Gujarat, Puducherry, and West Bengal will have the smallest teams.

Nitish Chaudhary from Rajasthan, a two-time national silver medalist, commented, “For a water sports athlete like me, the climate and facilities here are exceptional. I look forward to connecting with fellow sportspersons and learning from their experiences.”

On the first day, three gold medals will be awarded in kayaking and canoeing, with all 10 rowing finals scheduled for the final day on August 3. The opening ceremony is anticipated to be attended by Union Minister of State Srimati Raksha Khadse and other dignitaries from Jammu and Kashmir.