'One India, Great India': Mandaviya Declares Khelo India Water Sports Festival Open in Srinagar

Srinagar: Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday declared the first Khelo India Water Sports Festival open, calling the event “a powerful picture of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.”

“Today, when athletes step into Kashmir’s Dal Lake with zeal and enthusiasm to create history, the sight will not only thrill sports lovers but also present to the world the spirit of One India, Great India,” Mandaviya said in his video message. “With these words, I declare the Khelo India Water Sports Festival open.”

The minister said the Modi government had been determined since 2014 to turn India into a sporting powerhouse. “Through the Khelo Bharat Niti, we want to make sports the culture of the nation. Har Ghar Khel, Ghar-Ghar Khel is not just a slogan but a vision we have been working on for the last 11 years,” he said, noting that the recent passage of the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 marked a “historic reform” for Indian sports.

Union Minister of State Raksha Nikhil Khadse, who attended the opening at Srinagar, called Dal Lake the perfect canvas for the festival. “Water sports are attractive on their own, but when they happen in the backdrop of Kashmir’s beauty, the thrill multiplies,” she said. “This event is an open invitation for young people to embrace sports. We also plan to host more national and international tournaments here in the years to come.”

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha welcomed more than 400 athletes from across India, saying the festival was both a sporting and cultural milestone. “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making this event possible. It is a moment of pride for all of us,” Sinha said. He pointed to new infrastructure built under the Prime Minister’s Development Package and said sports in the region had undergone a “holistic transformation.”

“Youth of Kashmir are no longer on the streets; they are in the stadiums. From cricket leagues to today’s water sports, Kashmir is proving its potential,” Sinha said. “I want all the participants to be our ambassadors, to carry home the memories of our culture and hospitality.”

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, speaking beside the lake, said the venue itself told a story. “Dal Lake is our identity. It has a centuries-old connection with water sports,” he said. “My message to all the participants is that it is not just about winning but about exchanging cultures and experiences. Khelo India already has a strong bond with Kashmir through the Winter Games in Gulmarg, and this festival deepens that relationship.”

The three-day competition will feature 24 gold medals in canoeing, kayaking and rowing, along with demonstration events such as dragon boat racing, water skiing and the Dal Lake’s own shikhara sprint. Large contingents have come from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and Kerala, with nearly equal participation from men and women.

Day one delivered the host state its first taste of glory. Mohsin Ali, a 17-year-old who rows tourists across Dal Lake as a shikarawalla, claimed the opening gold medal of the festival in the men’s 1000m kayaking race. He finished in 4:12.41 seconds, edging Odisha’s Naoram James Singh and Madhya Pradesh’s Mayank in a thrilling contest.

Vishal Kumar of Uttar Pradesh added another medal to the day’s tally by winning the men’s 1000m canoe singles, while Odisha’s Rashmika Sahu took gold in the women’s 200m canoe singles. Ten rowing finals are scheduled for the closing day on Saturday.

For Srinagar, the sight of young athletes slicing through Dal Lake’s waters was more than a sporting spectacle. As Omar reminded the crowd, the event was also a reminder of heritage and resilience. “Dal Lake has always been more than just water. It is a mirror of Kashmir’s soul,” he said.