More training facilities added to KISCE in Srinagar

CHENNAI : When she started training in 1999, Bilquis Mir used to wear pheran, a traditional Kashmiri outfit, over a tracksuit to evade the questions of people around her. A lot has changed in the past 22 years in the Valley as Mir went on to represent the country in the kayaking and canoeing World Cup and coach the national team apart from acting as a water sports judge for the 2018 Asian Games. The sport has also flourished in the state with Dal Lake being transformed into the headquarters for the J&K Water Sports Academy and Mir serving as its director.

Yet another feather was added to its crown on Saturday with the sports ministry deciding to include kayaking and canoeing at the Khelo India State Center of Excellence (KISCE) in Srinagar. The KISCE, launched in April 2021, had training facilities only for rowing. “Players from J&K won 82 medals in national events in the last three years. Addition of kayaking and canoeing to KISCE will boost water sports further in the region. It’s a gift to J&K by the sports ministry and state government,” Mir told this daily from Srinagar.

The J&K Sports Council and the state government had earlier made a request in this regard. “It has been decided to equip the KISCE in Srinagar with training facilities for the two disciplines so that more sporting talent from the state has the opportunity to excel in the sport and represent India in world-class competitions,” sports minister Kiren Rijiju said in a release. The Sports Authority of India and the J&K Sports Council will assess the requirements to implement training in the two disciplines, including coaching and equipment support to be added. Mir used to train with boys when she started as girls were not allowed to take up sports professionally in the region at that time.

The centre, however, now has more than 200 female trainees. “In 2009, I competed in the World Cup and reached the semifinals. If we had these kinds of facilities at that time, I am sure we could have held a place in the finals too. The launch of KISCE and now the inclusion of kayaking and canoeing will enthuse young athletes of the sport and I am sure we will be able to attain a podium finish in the Olympics in the future,” said Mir. Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA) also hailed it as a great step towards improving water sports in the country.

“Kayaking, canoeing and rowing together have a total of 63 medals in the Olympics. If we can provide training to youngsters in these disciplines, then India’s medal haul in the Olympics can go up significantly. Also, Kashmir is a very strategic location for the academy since the weather matches with European countries where most competitions are held. This is a great step towards improving water sports in India,” said Prashant Kushwana, IKCA secretarygeneral.