The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) set to begin today at the scenic Dal Lake in Jammu & Kashmir. Over 400 top athletes from 36 states and Union Territories compete for 24 gold medals in rowing, kayaking, and canoeing in the three-day national event.
This is the first open-age national championship where all 24 medal events are part of the Olympic sports program. The festival will also feature three demonstration events, water skiing, shikhara boat sprint, and dragon boat race, aiming to boost tourism.
Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Kerala, sending the largest contingent of 44 athletes. Services will not be competing this time. Olympian Arjun Lal Jat, a silver medallist from the 2022 Asian Games, will be a star attraction, representing Delhi.
The competition starts today with three kayaking and canoeing gold medals to be decided. All rowing finals will take place on the last day, August 3. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 6 PM today, with Union Minister of State Srimati Raksha Khadse and local dignitaries expected to attend.
KIWSF is part of the Khelo India initiative launched in 2017-18 to promote grassroots sports, with 2025 also featuring the Khelo India Beach Games held in Diu in May. Live streaming of the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 will be available on the Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel. The event will also be telecast live on DD Sports TV channel in India.
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