The inaugural edition of the Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) got off to a sparkling start with a local shikarawalla Mohsin Ali, winning the first gold medal of the Games.
Mohsin, a 17-year-old who also works as a shikarawalla in the Dal Lake, clocked 4:12.41 in the 1000m men’s singles kayaking race to win his first national-level gold medal ahead of Odisha’s Naoram James Singh (4:14.68) and Mayank of Madhya Pradesh (4:23.28).
Two more gold medals were decided in the canoeing and kayaking competition. Vishal Kumar of Uttar Pradesh won the top prize in the canoe singles. For the 1000m race, Vishal clocked 4:30.59. Krishna Jat of Madhya Pradesh (4:31.36) got silver while Mohammed Hussain of Jammu & Kashmir got the bronze with a timing of 4:32.83 seconds.
“There is a lot of difference between participating in a water sports event in Uttar Pradesh and in Jammu and Kashmir due to the difference in altitude from sea level and it causes breathing issues for those from the plains. But I was able to negotiate that and win gold,” said Vishal.
In the day’s only final for women, Odisha’s Rasmita Sahoo won the gold in 200m canoe singles event, clocking 53.53 seconds. Kerala’s Nakshathra Santosh (53.83) and MP’s Masuma Yadav (54.26) won silver and bronze.
Earlier in the day, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya declared the event open through a video message. The opening ceremony was attended by the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse. The Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and J&K’s Sports Minister Satish Sharma were also present.
The three-day event, ending on August 23, will see more than 500 athletes from 28 States and Union Territories taking part in five events. While rowing, canoeing and kayaking will have 24 medals up for grabs, shikara sprints, Dragon boat race and water skiing will be the demonstration events.
Published on Aug 21, 2025
