Over 400 athletes to compete at Khelo India Water Sports Festival in Srinagar
The first Khelo India Water Sports Festival will be held at Dal Lake, Srinagar, from August 21-23 with over 400 athletes competing in six sports, marking a new milestone for Kashmir.
Hyderabad: The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival is all set to showcase the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar in a new avatar.
Jammu and Kashmir’s bid to emerge as a sporting destination will get a major boost when Dal Lake hosts the Water Games, its maiden national-level open competition, from August 21 to 23. More than 400 athletes from 36 states and Union Territories will take part in three medal events – rowing, kayaking and canoeing.
The Union sports ministry’s efforts to promote sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir have already established Gulmarg as a top winter sports hub, with the ski resort hosting five editions of the Khelo India Winter Games. Now, Dal Lake aspires to become a water sports destination.
For decades, Dal Lake has remained central to Kashmir tourism, art and culture. With the hosting of the Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF), the lake is adding a new sporting chapter to its legacy. The event is being jointly organised by the Sports Authority of India and the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council.
The Union sports ministry’s national sports policy, the Khelo Bharat Niti, aims not only to promote sports but also to provide commercial benefits for stakeholders in the ecosystem. Houseboat owners in particular are looking forward to the Games.
“This is not just an event — it is the beginning of a new era for water sports in our country. On behalf of all athletes, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and the entire Khelo India team for making water sports a priority and giving it the recognition it truly deserves,” said Bilquis Mir, a renowned figure in canoeing and kayaking and an Olympic judge.
The Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 will also feature three demonstration events — water skiing, dragon boat race, and the crowd-favourite shikara sprint — which have generated enthusiasm among locals and athletes alike.
Young J&K state champion Mohsin Ali, who has won 15 medals including three golds at national events, said: “I am hopeful of fetching a gold medal at these Games that we are hosting.”
Bilquis Mir, recalling her journey, added: “When I started paddling here as a 10-year-old in the 1990s, I dreamt of one day representing India. That dream came true when I became the first woman from India to participate in a World Cup. I am confident this event will inspire young athletes to aim for the biggest stage.”
Muhammad Imtiyaz, a water sports coach, said: “It was the Khelo India Winter Sports Games that turned Gulmarg into the winter sports hub of the country. Similarly, the Khelo India Water Sports Festival will bring Jammu and Kashmir into the consciousness of water sports athletes across the country.”
For Dal Lake, the festival is both a sporting milestone and a civic statement. The lake is a living water body central to culture, livelihoods, ecology and sports. Authorities have stepped up lake management activities such as deweeding to prepare for the Games.
The festival’s design language incorporates Dal’s cultural symbols — the mascot features the Himalayan Kingfisher, while the logo highlights the shikara on Dal Lake.
Muhammad Rafiq Malla, a shikarawalla and water sports athlete, expressed his excitement: “The festival will not only offer opportunities to sports enthusiasts but also to people like me who live on Dal Lake. I hope athletes enjoy not just the Games but also the beauty of Dal’s interiors, floating gardens, and the Zabarwan range.”
The Khelo India Water Sports Festival is set to broaden the Khelo India footprint beyond stadiums to landscapes like mountains in Gulmarg, coastal beaches in Diu, and now the highland lakes of Jammu and Kashmir. For athletes arriving from across the country, Dal Lake will serve not just as a sporting arena but as an amphitheatre celebrating culture, nature and sport.
About Khelo India Water Sports Festival
The KIWSF is part of the Khelo India calendar. Organised between August 21 and 23 at Dal Lake in Srinagar, it will feature six sports — rowing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat race. Thirty-six states and Union Territories will participate in the open-age event. This is the second Khelo India event in J&K after the Winter Games in Gulmarg.
Launched in 2017-18, Khelo India promotes grassroots sports culture, talent identification, structured competitions and infrastructure development across the country.
