First-ever Khelo India Water Sports to be held in Srinagar’s Dal Lake

The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival will be held at Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake from August 21-23. This was announced by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya. The three-day water sports festival will see five sports: kayaking and canoeing, rowing, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat. The open-age competition is expected to see participation of more than 400 athletes from the 36 States and Union Territories. He said that the Khelo India Water Sports Festival is another proof of the government’s commitment to broad-based sports and creating more opportunities for athletes to express themselves at the national level. The Minister said India has a decent standing in water sports in Asia. The water sports festival in Dal Lake will help expose emerging talent and prepare them for international events.The upcoming water sports festival will be the fifth Khelo India event in 2025 following the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh and J&K, the Para Games in Delhi, the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar and Delhi and most recently, the Beach Games in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.