By Our Staff Reporter
Tehri, 11 Feb: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Kayaking-Canoeing competitions organised under the 38th National Games at Tehri Lake Koti Colony here today. On the first day, Prabhat Kumar of Uttarakhand won the gold medal in the 1000-metre heat kayaking men’s competition.
During the inauguration, the CM encouraged the players and honoured the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners in the 1000-meter heat kayaking men’s competition with medals and souvenirs. Geeta Dhami, CM Pushkar’s wife was also present on this occasion.
In this competition, Prabhat Kumar of Uttarakhand won the gold medal, SSCB won the silver, and Delhi won the bronze medal.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM stated that after being known as Devbhoomi (Land of Gods) and Veerbhoomi (Land of the Brave), Uttarakhand is now being established as Khelbhoomi (Land of Sports). He added that hosting the 38th National Games in the state is a first and pleasant experience. The 38th National Games are being organised in a grand manner since 28 January. All the sports competitions are being held at 11 different locations in Uttarakhand, with all sports tracks made for the players, and no sports equipment brought from outside.
The CM also mentioned that Uttarakhand was ranked 25th in the 37th National Games, it is now ranked 7th in the ongoing 38th National Games.
He asserted that Tehri Lake is extremely suitable for power generation as well as tourism and adventure sports. It is set to become a major hub for water sports. National and international level sports competitions have been organised here earlier as well, and efforts will be made to keep the games going throughout the year in the future. This, he observed, would promote tourism, provide self-employment opportunities at the local level, and strengthen the local economy.
Dhami mentioned that the state is progressing in every field and has taken a resolution to make the state drug-free. He urged players and sports enthusiasts from other states to visit various tourist places in Uttarakhand. He asserted that the natural beauty of this place would infuse new energy into the body and mind and provide a sense of peace. Congratulating the players, he wished them a bright future ahead.
On this occasion, the CM also launched the ‘Destination Tehri’ Calendar 2025 on the theme of winter tourism in Tehri. This calendar highlights the emerging potential of Tehri as a major winter tourist destination, showcasing a mix of adventure, natural beauty, and spiritual places. The calendar has been prepared by the District Administration of Tehri Garhwal.
A total of 160 players from 16 states are participating in the three-day kayaking-canoeing competitions at Tehri Lake, which include 80 female players and 80 male players from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, Manipur, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, SSCB, and others.
Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay welcomed the Chief Minister on his arrival and congratulated him on the successful organisation of the 38th National Games. He emphasised the importance of protecting the Ganga to maintain its purity and ensure its uninterrupted flow.
Also present at the event were Devprayag MLA Vinod Kandari, Tehri District Panchayat Administrator Sona Sajwan, BJP District President Rajesh Nautiyal, BJP’s OBC President Sanjay Negi, Tehri Municipal Council President Manmohan Singh Rawat, Chamba Municipal Council President Shobhani Dhanola, Block Jakhnidhar Administrator Sunita Devi, Chamba Block Administrator Shivani Bisht, Uttarakhand Olympic Association Secretary DK Singh, Indian Canoeing-Kayaking Association President Prashant Kushwah, Tehri DM Mayur Dixit, SSP Ayush Aggarwal, and others.
