Tura, March 22: While football and cricket are the usual favorites in local sporting arenas, a first-of-its-kind one-day kayaking awareness camp was launched at Chibragre River in Tura on Saturday, stirring up a refreshing wave of excitement.
Organised by the Tura Adventure Club, the camp aimed to introduce kayaking to students from various schools in and around Tura, targeting adventurous youngsters aged 12 to 16, while also grooming potential participants for the upcoming National Games in Meghalaya in 2027.
The camp was a collaborative effort between the Meghalaya Canoe Association, the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association, and the Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs, Meghalaya. The Meghalayan Express and Hub News were the media partners for the event.
Around 91 enthusiastic participants from several prominent schools, including Sherwood School, The Learning Sanctuary School, Don Bosco Secondary School, St. John’s Higher Secondary School, Tura Public School, Aeroville Higher Secondary School, Tura Montessori School, Nokrek Heights, and EmBee Rose Bud Secondary School, took part in the camp.
The session was led by Ian Vincent, head coach of the state’s kayaking team, and Sheela Vincent, Secretary of the Meghalaya Canoe Association. The husband-and-wife duo also run a kayaking and canoeing center in Kyrdem Kulai, known as “Whitewater Village,” which has produced athletes who have already won medals for Meghalaya.
Armed with kayaks and safety gear, the program included both theoretical and practical demonstrations, helping students understand the basic strokes of kayaking and what the sport entails.
The flat waters of Chibragre provided an ideal testing ground for these budding kayakers, allowing them to experience the sport for the first time and develop a deep appreciation for it.
“As far as the scope of kayaking in Garo Hills is concerned, we have children who have literally grown up along the riversides of Ganol and Simsang. They are not afraid of water; they are confident. We need to expose these kids to this sport so that they can pick up something new in life—and maybe bring us some medals in the future,” said Binny K. Sangma, Joint Secretary of the Tura Adventure Club, in an interview with Hub News.
The day also featured a flat-water sprint race among participants to identify promising talents, with the possibility of sending them to Kyrdem Kulai for advanced training. The club also hopes to establish a dedicated kayaking institute in Garo Hills in the future.
This initiative comes at the behest of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, inspired by the state’s impressive four-medal haul in the recent National Games.
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