Khelo India: J&K makes case for national watersports hub on Dal Lake

Seventh place in the final medals tally of the first Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) in Jammu & Kashmir may not seem extraordinary, but given the odds stacked against the hosts, it is. Each of the medals the local lads won — a gold in kayaking, a silver and bronze in canoe slalom — bears testimony to their sporting aspirations against all odds.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh finished as champions with Odisha and Kerala finishing in second and third positions, respectively in the medals tally in the three-day event which concluded on Friday.

Mohsin Ali, who won gold in men’s kayaking, is a carpenter’s son, canoeing silver medallist Sajad Hussain is a shikara wala’s son while bronze finisher Muhammad Hussain comes from a vegetable vendor’s family. Needless to add, the families of all three athletes struggle to make ends meet, but encourage their children to participate in watersport events, and the SAI (Sports Authority of India) centre set up at Nehru Park inside Dal Lake has been fuelling their dreams.

Khelo India: Mohsin, a gold medallist who hones his skills on the Dal Lake

Speaking to SAI media, Sajad said: “When we used to train at the Nehru Park Centre in the mornings, our SAI coach Zulfkar Ali Bhat would drop us at school after training as the school would start soon after the training at the centre. We used to put on our school uniform in his car.”

Hailing from the Mir Bahri area in the interiors of Dal Lake, Sajad said being a shikara wala’s son, it was difficult to venture into endurance sports like canoeing, as it requires a proper diet, besides hard work and proper training.

“We don’t have the means to even have the basic diet and asking for a proper diet meant for water sports athletes is not possible for families like us,” Sajad said, adding: “After attending school, I would ride a shikara or do any manual work that helps me sustain myself and not be a burden on the family.” A sentiment which was echoed by the other two medallists as well. 

The three-day Khelo India Water Sports Festival is underway at the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Medal Tally after Day 2:
• Madhya Pradesh – 4 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze
• Odisha – 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 0 Bronze
• Jammu & Kashmir – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze#KheloIndia… pic.twitter.com/6Jo9yORmpT

— DD News (@DDNewslive) August 23, 2025

An active interest in sport, according to Hussain, can also keep the local youth away from the menace of drug addiction. “When we go by the boulevard, we see youth with such good physique indulging in drugs. When I see that, I feel bad for them and think how well they could do in sports,” he said. “These guys do not know that sports give a better high than any drugs can ever give.”

Bhat, their coach and mentor rolled into one, said: “Most of the participants from Jammu and Kashmir come from humble backgrounds. None of them is a son or a daughter of a bureaucrat, a big businessman or come from a rich family.’’

He said since India is bidding for the 2036 Olympics, the SAI Jammu centre at Nehru Park is working on long term-plans like having the talent and resource poll ready for the event. Asking for a national centre of excellence in Srinagar, the coach said: “When athletes from all over the country will visit that centre, the water sports athletes in Kashmir, like those living in and around the Dal Lake who have the talent but not the means and resources to make it big, will benefit and make the country proud.”