Olympian Arjun Lal Jat headlines star cast at Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025

Tokyo Olympian and Asian Games silver medallist Arjun Lal Jat will be one of the biggest attractions at the inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF), which begins at Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake on Thursday.

The 28-year-old Army rower, representing Delhi, is set for his maiden appearance at the Khelo India platform.

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“This is my first Khelo India event, and I will participate in the men’s single scull. I expect each participating team to deliver its best. Khelo India is very well supported by the Government of India. Such events should happen more as they will provide a platform to the athletes of Jammu and Kashmir to represent India at the international level,” said Jat, who also won silver in the lightweight double scull at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The three-day KIWSF will have 24 gold medals on offer across Olympic disciplines of rowing, canoeing and kayaking, with more than 400 athletes from 36 states and Union Territories in the fray. In addition, the festival will feature three demonstration events — water skiing, shikhara boat sprint and dragon boat race.

Competition manager Bilquis Mir, a former World Cup canoeist and Olympic judge, said: “Since Services will not take part in these Games as a team, it will be good to see how the states compete and perform. The course has been prepared keeping all international specifications in mind, and we are all set to go.”

The KIWSF is a new addition to the Khelo India calendar, which in 2025 also saw the introduction of the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu earlier this year. Both events, under the Khelo Bharat Niti, are aimed at promoting sports and boosting tourism.

Among the athletes, Madhya Pradesh rower Suhani Meena expressed her excitement at competing in Kashmir. “This is a great opportunity for water sports athletes since we only have a few opportunities throughout the year to participate in a national-level event. Now the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 will give us a chance to excel,” she said.

Selections for kayaking and canoeing were based on results from the nationals held in Tehri last November and Bhopal this March, with the top 15 in singles and doubles, and the top eight in fours earning a place.

Of the 409 athletes competing, 202 are women, ensuring near equal representation. Madhya Pradesh (44), Haryana (37), Odisha (34) and Kerala (33) have the largest contingents, while Gujarat, Puducherry and West Bengal will send the smallest squads.

Rajasthan’s Nitish Chaudhary, a two-time national silver medallist, said: “For a water sports person like me, this climate and the facilities here are amazing. I am getting a chance to meet other sportspersons from different parts of the country and learning from their experiences.”

Three kayaking and canoeing gold medals will be decided on Day 1, while all 10 rowing finals are scheduled for the closing day on August 3.

The opening ceremony, likely to be attended by Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse along with Jammu and Kashmir dignitaries, will be held on Thursday evening.