Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 25 (ANI): The solar might have set on the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025, however the first-ever consolidated, national-level, Open-age competitors that includes kayaking, teaching and rowing has set a brand new chapter within the historical past of water sports activities within the nation.
The Games, hosted by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council underneath the supervision of the Sports Authority of India, have lifted the keenness of water sports activities athletes and their coaches as they eye qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 and purpose to win medals in different international competitions. All 24 gold medals, 10 of which have been in rowing, have been determined at Dal Lake from August 21-23 and have been Olympic occasions.
Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala emerged as the highest three states within the Khelo India Water Sports Festival. An iconic lake in Bhopal, a water sports activities coaching centre alongside the Bay of Bengal and an SAI Centre of Excellence within the lap of Kerala’s enchanting backwaters in Alappuzha gained headlines after athletes from these services made a giant splash on the Dal.
The efficiency of water sports activities exponents like Rasmita Sahoo, Bidya Devi Oinam, and Shruti Tanaji Chougule, who practice at SAI’s Jagatpur centre in Odisha; Dally Bishnoi, Shikha Chauhan, and Pallavi Jagtab of MP, and Vishal Dangi of Uttarakhand have given the kayaking and canoeing fraternity nice hope. Shikha and Pallavi have been a part of an Indian troika that not too long ago gained a historic silver within the Asian Canoe Slalom Championship in Guizhou, China.
The efficiency of kayakers and canoeists who practice on the 5 SAI centres throughout India was noteworthy. Forty-seven SAI athletes gained 5 golds, seven silvers and three bronze medals. Jagatpur, which had 15 athletes at KIWSF 2025, was the perfect with three golds and 5 silvers.
Under the brand new sports activities coverage (Khelo Bharat Niti) geared toward upliftment and publicity, the KIWSF competition generally is a game-changer. The Dal Games have already motivated the water sports activities fraternity, and with the federal government’s assist via its TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and TAGG (Target Asian Games Group) schemes, the influence could possibly be seen within the Asian Games in Japan subsequent yr.
More than 30 gold medals every are at stake within the Olympics and Asian Games in kayaking and canoeing alone, and India can actually consider successful a medal at these international meets, really feel consultants. Coaches related to SAI’s National Centres of Excellence in Odisha and Kerala already sound motivated. Team champions Madhya Pradesh, which gained 10 of the 24 gold medals in KIWSF, are equally bolstered.
The powerhouse efficiency Madhya Pradesh displayed in Srinagar wasn’t by likelihood. It was a product of a rigorously nurtured ecosystem of self-discipline and ambition on the MP State Water Sports Academy of Excellence.
‘This is the results of months of intense preparation, a disciplined schedule, and the belief these younger athletes positioned in us,’ mentioned Ankush Sharma, Madhya Pradesh’s kayaking and canoeing coach, as quoted from a press launch by SAI Media. ‘Each paddle stroke was backed by goal. Every end was a mirrored image of our coaching philosophy.’
Assisting Ankush was Champa Mourya. She performed a pivotal position in motivating the group behind the scenes. ‘We labored not simply on bodily endurance however psychological energy too,’ she mentioned.
‘These youngsters realized to thrive underneath strain. And right this moment, they’re champions not simply of Madhya Pradesh however the complete nation,’ added Champa. The aspiration to win international laurels is barely getting stronger, she mentioned.
Coach at Jagatpur, Laisharam Johnson Singh, mentioned Odisha’s efficiency alerts a shift in India’s water sports activities map. ‘This is barely the start for Odisha. The expertise pool is deep, and with extra funding and assist, we will probably be main quickly.’
Johnson, recognized for his affected person mentoring model, emphasised the significance of publicity and aggressive expertise. ‘Our paddlers are studying to belief the method.
Silver right this moment, gold tomorrow,’ he mentioned. ‘The course of has to go on and the outcomes will come.’
While Kerala got here third with seven medals, together with three gold, one silver, and three bronze, their efficiency was nothing wanting inspiring. Coach Prithviraj Nandkumar Shinde mentioned, ‘Kerala has at all times had a legacy in water sports activities. This yr, we added one other chapter to it.’ He added that constructing on the basics will make the athletes excellent and higher.
The prime three groups, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala, walked away with not simply medals but in addition with tales of grit and progress. Behind each podium end was a coach’s unshakable perception. Now it is all about making the subsequent degree.
Dalip Beniwal, SAI’s High Performance Manager and senior coach at Jagatpur, feels the Khelo India Water Sports Festival in Srinagar is a springboard for the fraternity, particularly kayaking and canoeing. ‘We have rowers representing India within the Olympics and Asian Games. Our kayakers and canoeists can certainly do the identical in the event that they get the publicity they deserve. The Games right here have been an eye-opener,’ mentioned Beniwal.
Beniwal backed SAI’s Nehru Park facility at Dal Lake as a high-performance coaching centre. ‘The low oxygen in Srinagar helps construct energy and stamina. If our sportspersons are assured of jobs each from the federal government and company sectors, they will actually make a mark in water sports activities,’ mentioned Beniwal. (ANI)