New Delhi

The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Thursday that the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival will be held at Srinagar's iconic Dal Lake from August 21-23.

As part of its growing Khelo India calendar, the inaugural edition of the Water Games in Jammu and Kashmir follows the first Khelo India Beach Games, held in Diu in May. The water sports festival will feature five sports: kayaking and canoeing, rowing, water skiing, a shikara race, and dragon boat racing.

"The Khelo India Water Sports Festival is another proof of the government's commitment to broad-based sports and creating more opportunities for athletes to express themselves at the national level. Like the first Khelo India Beach Games in Diu, we want Khelo India to become more inclusive and reach out to every corner of the country," Mandaviya said as quoted from a press release by SAI Media.

The open-age competition is expected to feature over 400 athletes from the 36 states and Union Territories. The National Sports Federation will nominate athletes from their national championships or other suitable events, or as decided by the Games Technical Conduct Committee, on a merit basis.

"India has a decent standing in water sports in Asia. The water sports festival in Dal Lake will help expose emerging talent and prepare them for international events. Our water sports facilities have the latest infrastructure and good coaches. We only want new athletes to come and seek excellence in water games," Mandaviya added.

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The upcoming water sports festival will be the fifth Khelo India event in 2025 following the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh and J&K, the Para Games in Delhi, the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar and Delhi and most recently, the Beach Games in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.