As the primary worldwide lady kayaker and worldwide decide in canoeing from Jammu and Kashmir, 34-year-old Bilquis Mir is likely one of the pioneers of water sports activities within the state in addition to within the nation. Mir, who represented India on the 2009 ICF Sprint World Cup in Hungary, coached the Indian canoe groups from 2010 to 2015, and served as a decide on the 2018 Asian Games, along with being Director, Water Sports, Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir Water Sports Council.
Mir, president of the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association’s canoe slalom, was in Chandigarh because the affiliation declared Chandigarh the host for subsequent yr’s Asian Dragon Boat Championships and Himachal Pradesh was internet hosting the canoe dash nationals in Bilaspur subsequent month.
The former worldwide participant believes that kayaking and canoeing will entice extra curiosity among the many Indian youth within the coming years.
“When we talk of Olympic sports, canoeing remains the fifth largest sport in terms of medals with 12 events in canoe sprint, four events in canoe slalom at the Tokyo Olympics and nine events at the Tokyo Paralympics. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan As Asian countries are also emerging as strong nations, I believe that India can also develop in this game in future years.
Recently we saw that Prachi Yadav became the first Para canoe player from India to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics and reach the semi-finals. We have seen the recent pressure by the Central Government in declaring a Center of Excellence in Water Sports in Srinagar. Such initiatives will attract more youth to the sport and with the right planning and infrastructure, we too can dream of qualifying for the Olympics and winning medals,” Mir informed The Indian Express.
Mir, who began swimming on the Nehru Park Water Sports Center in Srinagar within the late Nineties, will start kayaking on the heart a yr later. In the approaching years Mir will compete within the K1 500m occasions at nationwide and worldwide stage and can attain the semi-finals on the ICF Sprint Racing World Cup in Hungary. The Jammu and Kashmir participant additionally participated within the Asian Kayaking Championship in Iran and later coached the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing groups from 2010 to 2015. In 2010, Mir additionally handed the International Judge Test by the ICF and would officiate in worldwide tournaments.
“When I started playing, a lot of people used to laugh or taunt me or my family. Swimming or water sports was still a taboo and I still remember how people taunted me for wearing swim attire to kayak events. I am glad that I can be a role model for the youth as well as budding sportspersons from J&K as well as other states. Participating in the ICF World Cup in Hungary is my biggest achievement, but coaching the Indian team from 2010 to 2015 helped me grow as a person. At the water sports center in Dal Lake, we have trained over 100 players who have won national medals and seeing them achieve success inspires me,” she stated.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
