The court docket, in its August 12 order, stated the game’s inclusion within the upcoming occasion was conditional on the petitioner — Dragon Boat India and Traditional Sports Federation — offering full logistical and technical help. This contains supplying dragon boats, educated officers, organising choice camps, and creating the mandatory infrastructure, all with out inflicting inconvenience to the host State.
The court docket took notice of the truth that Dragon Boat Racing, formally recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia and featured within the sixth Asia Beach Games (Sanya, China, 2020) is an rising sport with a rising world footprint.
The petitioner argued that the self-discipline additionally has deep historic roots within the northeast and south India, forming a part of the nation’s sporting heritage, and deserves proactive promotion beneath the Khelo India Programme’s mandate to revive indigenous video games.
The Centre, nevertheless, famous that the game had been launched solely as a demonstrative occasion within the inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival. It identified that the checklist of aggressive and demonstration sports activities was finalised on June 6, 2025, and the host had already begun preparations, making last-minute additions difficult as a consequence of venue readiness, tools procurement, and athlete coaching constraints.
The court docket, nevertheless, noticed, “Inclusion of Dragon Boat Racing is subsequently solely in line with the scheme’s imaginative and prescient of revitalising conventional sports activities, nurturing indigenous expertise, and advancing athletes from the grassroots to the best worldwide platforms, together with the Olympic Games”.
Published – August 15, 2025 02:30 am IST
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