Manasbal, Jul 18 (KNO): The Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA) organised a day-long Manasbal Water Sports Festival on Saturday at the scenic Manasbal Lake in collaboration with a local tourism sports group, Swim N Survival Society Kashmir (SSSK).
The festival witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 200 school-going children, athletes, and water sports enthusiasts, making it one of the largest water sports events held at the lake in recent times. The event featured a variety of exciting competitions, including Open Water Swimming, Kayaking, Paddle Boat Race, Shikara Race for Local Boatmen, and other events, aimed at promoting water recreational activities, encouraging healthy outdoor recreation, and showcasing the tourism and sporting potential of Manasbal Lake.
Winners of the events were later felicitated by Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ahsanul Haq Chishti. Speaking on the occasion, the CEO congratulated all participants and winners and reaffirmed WMDA's commitment to promoting water recreational activities and adventure tourism in the region. He said WMDA would be holding such events in the times to come as well.
Thanking the Swim N Survive Society for their support, the CEO assured the Authority's continued support for future initiatives aimed at developing Manasbal Lake as a premier destination for water recreational activities.
Dr Ahsanul Haq Chishti, speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said, "Today's event was organised as a Water Recreational Sports Festival with the participation of around 150 students from different schools. The children enthusiastically took part in activities such as canoeing, water races, swimming, and open-water swimming. Although the event was non-competitive, its primary objective was to promote sports culture and encourage children to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle."
He said the Manasbal Development Authority has been consistently organizing eco-friendly activities over the past couple of years and is committed to holding water sports events on a regular basis.
"Several initiatives are already in the pipeline to strengthen our infrastructure and manpower. Our long-term vision is to establish Manasbal as a premier adventure tourism destination while promoting the lake as a hub for water recreational activities," he added—(KNO)