For the first time, water sports players from seven countries will showcase their talent at Bhopal's Upper Lake. In the month of November, BIMSTEC Youth Water Sports Competition will be organised at MP State Water Sports Academy. In this regard, a high-level meeting of the State Level Implementation Committee was held under the chairmanship of Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia.
Scindia informed that seven countries Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India will participate in the BIMSTEC water sports competition. There will be competitions in yachting, kayaking-canoeing and rowing. She said that Bhopal has its own identity in water sports and many international competitions have been organised here in the past. In 2003, Asian Kayaking-Canoeing, an open international water sports competition in which 13 countries participated, was held. Smt. Scindia informed that earlier this event was scheduled for March-2020; it was postponed due to Corona.
Principal Secretary Sports and Youth Welfare Gulshan Bamra informed that about 142 players from seven countries will participate in the BIMSTEC Youth Water Sports Competition. Apart from this, about 42 supporting staff will also be involved. There will be 4 men and 4 women in yachting and 3 each men and women (each sport) in kayaking-canoeing and rowing from each country.
In the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on the accommodation and food arrangements of foreign players, allowances and honorarium, security etc. of players, technical officers, referees, judges, coaches, support staff etc. On this occasion Under Secretary (BIMSTEC) Ministry of External Affairs, Rakesh Tiwari, Principal Secretary Urban Development Manish Singh, Director Sports and Youth Welfare Pavan Jain, Collector Bhopal Avinash Lavania, Deputy Inspector General Bhopal Shri Irshad Wali and other officers and trainers were present.