SRINAGAR: The unhurried rhythm of a shikara gliding through the Dal is one of Kashmir's oldest inheritances.
On Thursday, a 17-year-old Kashmiri boy swapped the oars of his shikara for a kayak paddle and whipped up a frenzy generations of his family hadn't known – shouts of "Mohsin! Shabhash, Mohsin!" from the banks of the lake as he neared the finish line of a 1000m kayaking competition to give J&K the first gold of the ongoing Khelo India Water Sports Festival .
"I am so happy. I defeated kayakers who have competed in China and Europe. This is a big thing for me," said Mohsin, moments after stepping out of his kayak into the waiting arms of his coach Bilquis Mir, a former international and an Olympic judge.
Mohsin, a Class 12 student at Srinagar's SP Higher Secondary School, takes tourists on shikara rides after school almost every day to earn some money that goes into supplementing his diet. It helps that he lives in Kand Mohalla, next to the lake.
Mohsin credits his carpenter father Fida Hussain with encouraging him to excel in sport. "My father tells me that kayaking is my ticket out of Dal to see the world," he told TOI.
Winning gold in a national competition "in front of my people" has stoked Mohsin's ambition to aim for bigger glory, which his coach believes isn't out of reach.
"Mohsin was only seven when he came to me to learn kayaking. He has come a long way since, striving to get better each day. I think this is just the beginning," said Mir.
While the adulation still rings in his ears, Mohsin worries about finding the resources to reach the next level. "Only I know how difficult it has been just to be able to afford the diet a kayaker needs to compete in such events," he said.
Khelo India Water Sports Festival, which runs until Aug 23, is the second Khelo India event hosted by J&K after the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg. The water sports edition features six events –rowing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat race.
Launched in 2017-18, Khelo India is a mission to promote sports at the grassroots and help scouts spot talent early.
On Thursday, a 17-year-old Kashmiri boy swapped the oars of his shikara for a kayak paddle and whipped up a frenzy generations of his family hadn't known – shouts of "Mohsin! Shabhash, Mohsin!" from the banks of the lake as he neared the finish line of a 1000m kayaking competition to give J&K the first gold of the ongoing Khelo India Water Sports Festival .
"I am so happy. I defeated kayakers who have competed in China and Europe. This is a big thing for me," said Mohsin, moments after stepping out of his kayak into the waiting arms of his coach Bilquis Mir, a former international and an Olympic judge.
Mohsin, a Class 12 student at Srinagar's SP Higher Secondary School, takes tourists on shikara rides after school almost every day to earn some money that goes into supplementing his diet. It helps that he lives in Kand Mohalla, next to the lake.
Mohsin credits his carpenter father Fida Hussain with encouraging him to excel in sport. "My father tells me that kayaking is my ticket out of Dal to see the world," he told TOI.
Winning gold in a national competition "in front of my people" has stoked Mohsin's ambition to aim for bigger glory, which his coach believes isn't out of reach.
"Mohsin was only seven when he came to me to learn kayaking. He has come a long way since, striving to get better each day. I think this is just the beginning," said Mir.
While the adulation still rings in his ears, Mohsin worries about finding the resources to reach the next level. "Only I know how difficult it has been just to be able to afford the diet a kayaker needs to compete in such events," he said.
Khelo India Water Sports Festival, which runs until Aug 23, is the second Khelo India event hosted by J&K after the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg. The water sports edition features six events –rowing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat race.
Launched in 2017-18, Khelo India is a mission to promote sports at the grassroots and help scouts spot talent early.
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