Dal Lake Set to Host Inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025

The pristine waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir are set to come alive with the splash of oars and the thrill of competition as the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) kicks off. The three-day sporting spectacle, beginning Thursday, will feature more than 400 of India’s top national athletes competing for 24 gold medals across rowing, canoeing, and kayaking disciplines.

A New Chapter in Khelo India Movement

The Khelo India Water Sports Festival marks the first consolidated open-age championships in water sports, with all 14 kayaking and canoeing events and 10 rowing events aligned to Olympic standards. This makes the festival not only a domestic milestone but also a crucial platform for preparing Indian athletes for international competitions.

In addition to the medal events, the festival will showcase three demonstration sports designed to add excitement and regional flavor—water skiing, shikhara boat sprints, and dragon boat races. These events are expected to be crowd-pullers, blending tradition with modern sport.

Strong National Participation

The festival will see participation from 36 States and Union Territories, with powerhouse contingents from Madhya Pradesh (44 athletes), Haryana (37), Odisha (34), and Kerala (33). A total of 409 athletes will compete, with near-equal gender representation: 202 women and 207 men, underscoring the inclusive vision of Khelo India.

At the other end of the scale, Gujarat, Puducherry, and West Bengal will field the smallest teams. Since the Services team is not competing this year, the stage is set for states to dominate the medal tally.

Olympic and Asian Games Stars to Shine

Among the star attractions will be Arjun Lal Jat, a 28-year-old Army rower representing Delhi. Jat is one of India’s most accomplished rowers, having competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and clinched a silver medal in lightweight double sculls at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. His participation adds international flavor and will serve as an inspiration to upcoming athletes.

Qualification Path and Competitive Standards

The KIWSF will feature athletes who have already proven their credentials at the national level.

• For kayaking and canoeing, the top 15 in singles and doubles and top eight in fours from the national championships held at Tehri, Uttarakhand, in November 2024 have qualified.

• For rowing, the top eight finishers from the nationals held at Bhopal in March 2025 earned their place.

According to competition manager Bilquis Mir, a former World Cup canoeist and Olympic judge, the course has been prepared to international specifications, ensuring athletes gain world-class competitive exposure. “It will be exciting to see how states compete and perform under these conditions,” she noted.

Schedule and Ceremonial Grandeur

The opening ceremony, to be held on Thursday evening at 6 PM, will be graced by Union Minister of State Srimati Raksha Khadse alongside dignitaries from Jammu and Kashmir. The first day will see three gold medals decided in kayaking and canoeing, while the grand finale on August 3 will host all 10 rowing finals.

Boosting Tourism and Sports Culture

The Khelo India Water Sports Festival is the second major Khelo India event in Jammu and Kashmir, following the successful Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg. Together, these events are expected to boost sports-driven tourism in the Union Territory, projecting J&K as a hub for both adventure and competitive sports.

The festival also aligns with the Khelo Bharat Niti, under which the government added two new events in 2025—the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu (May 2025) and the Water Sports Festival in Srinagar. Both aim to integrate sports with tourism promotion, while also nurturing talent at the grassroots level.

Grassroots Vision with Global Aspirations

Launched in 2017–18, the Khelo India initiative has become a cornerstone of India’s sports policy. Its mission is threefold:

1. Talent Identification at the grassroots level.

2. Structured Competitions to provide athletes with competitive exposure.

3. Infrastructure Development to support long-term athlete training.

The KIWSF embodies these goals by creating opportunities for water sports athletes, who often lack visibility compared to mainstream disciplines.

Looking Ahead

As the Dal Lake plays host to this historic sporting carnival, the KIWSF 2025 is expected to deliver not just medals, but also moments of inspiration that could shape the future of Indian water sports. With equal emphasis on competition, cultural heritage, and tourism, the event promises to leave a lasting impact on India’s sporting calendar.