Hyderabad learns to kayak!

Saturday morning, at around 8.30 am, around 50 Hyderabadis were spotted at Sanjeevaiah Park, learning to kayak. Taking part in the city's first Kayakathon, organised by Telangana Tourism, a city yatch club and adventure club, these participants were an excited bunch, as many tried kayaking for the first time. Events like Relay Kayakathon, Hyderabad Kayakathon, and other sailing events, took place at the Hussain Sagar Lake.
"It's a lot of fun. Since this is the first time I'm taking part in kayaking, I was initially a little nervous, but I had a great time. Now, I'll probably go kayaking every weekend," shares Srinivas Chaitanya, a businessman, who participated in the event. Encouraging more people to take up water sports, the Telangana government used the occasion of World Tourism Day to promote the sport in the state. "Not all cities can boast of having a lake and since we do have one, we must promote the water body , as well as the sports. In fact, BP Acharya, the principal secretary of Tourism also announced that every second Saturday and Sunday, water sport competitions will be organized and sponsored by the government," says B Manohar Rao, general manager of Telangana Tourism.
Those who train the cops and Army men in these sports are a happy lot. "Nobody in the city really knows what kayaking is and what it entails. This event will at least throw some light on water sports that are majorly ignored. In Europe, people go kayaking just to relax and rejuvenate. And the performance that they give during their leisure time, is notches up when compared to our performance during the nationals! That's why water sports need as much visibility as possible," says Arif Khan, Telangana Police Water Sports coach.

Agreeing with him is Praveen MV, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps (EME) Kayaking and Canoeing team coach. "Before the EME came to Hyderabad, nobody even knew about kayaking and canoeing. It was only in 199495 that we started practicing it here and people joined us. So the more it is highlighted, the more people will participate and we can produce better players from our country," says Praveen, who is also an ex-coach of the Indian kayaking team.
But pursuing the sport is an expensive affair. As Arif Khan explains, "The equipment needed is expensive, and most of them come from abroad. Indian made boats are heavy, and when we prepare for competitions, we prefer foreign boats because they're lighter."
The Hyderabad Kayakathon saw seven participants from the Telangana Police and 20 from the Army. Apart from promoting water sports, the event was also aimed at raising awareness about keeping the water body clean. "We usually practice here for two hours, every morning and evening. The stink emanating from the lake sometimes becomes unbearable, and if we fall off board, into the lake, we develop rashes! We must realize that this is our water body and hence, our responsibility to keep it clean," says Praveen MV.