Adding Kayaking, Canoeing training facilities to KISCE historic, says athletes

By
Daily Excelsior
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Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 22: The players of Kayaking and Canoeing have termed the decision of adding two water sports disciplines at the Khelo India State Center of Excellence (KISCE) in Srinagar as historic saying that the facility will help them improve their performance in the Olympics and other international events.
Speaking about the decision, Bilques Mir, National water sports Coach, told Excelsior that the move will impact the overall development of athletes. “With this we can match the international standards in terms of expertise required for producing world-class athletes,” she said. Besides, she added, it will help them in placing the Valley on water sports map of the world.
Emphasizing the importance of the decision, she said the facility will improve the training of the athletes and help them win more medals for India in the Olympics. “We have been doing well in national and international platforms. But we are yet to have an impact on the Olympics as our medal haul is low. This can help us to win Olympic medals,” she said, adding the Centre will adopt the players and provide them everything required for becoming world-class athletes.
She said with the improvement of the facilities they will be able to hold world championships here. “This will boost our tourism as well. So it has multiple benefits,” she said.
The move was also welcomed by other athletes of the water sports across the Valley. They hoped that the facilities would take the game to new heights and encourage more people to join sports, ” moreover, it will help us to reduce social ills by engaging more youth in the sports,” a player said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and the State Government had initiated the request for adding these sporting disciplines to KISCE.
Before launching KISCE in April 2021, the J&K has training facilities only for rowing. The imitative revamped J&K Water Sports Academy in the State.
The Sports Authority of India and the Sports Council of J&K will assess the requirements to implement training in the two disciplines, including coaching and equipment support to be added.

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