Shruti tanaji chougule

Khelo India Water Sports Festival: The sun may have set on the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025, but the first-ever consolidated, national-level, Open-age competition featuring kayaking, coaching and rowing has set a new chapter in the history of water sports in the country.

The Games, hosted by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India, has lifted the enthusiasm of water sports athletes and their coaches as they eye qualification for Los Angeles Olympics 2028 and aim to win medals in other global competitions. All the 24 gold medals, 10 were in rowing, decided at Dal Lake from August 21-23, were Olympic events.

Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala emerged as the top three states in the Khelo India Water Sports Festival. An iconic lake in Bhopal, a water sports training centre alongside the Bay of Bengal and a SAI Centre of Excellence in the lap of Kerala’s enchanting backwaters in Alappuzha gained headlines after athletes from these facilities made a big splash at the Dal.