PM Modi interacts with Rasmita Sahoo, Moshin Ali from Khelo India Water Sports Festival during Mann Ki Baat

NEW DELHI: During the 125th edition of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the success of the country’s first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival, held at the scenic Dal Lake in Srinagar.

To give listeners a closer experience of the event, PM Modi also interacted with two participants, Rasmita Sahoo from Odisha and Moshin Ali from Srinagar.

“To bring to you the experience of this event, I thought of also speaking to two players who participated in it. One of them is Rasmita Sahoo from Odisha and the other is Moshin Ali of Srinagar,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi’s 125th Edition of Mann Ki Baat | PM Modi says, “To bring to you the experience of this event (Khelo India Water Sports Festival), I thought of also speaking to two players who participated in it. One of them is Rasmita Sahoo from Odisha and the other is Moshin Ali of… pic.twitter.com/K6xt2eNyA3

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2025

Rasmita Sahoo, an accomplished canoeing player, shared her journey into the sport.

“I am a canoeing player. I joined sports in 2017 with canoeing and have participated at the national level, in National Championships and National Games. I have won 41 medals, 13 Gold, 14 Silver and 14 Bronze,” she said.

Rasmita Sahoo says, “…I am a canoeing player…I joined sports in 2017 with canoeing and have participated at the national level, in National Championships and National Games. I have won 41 medals, 13 Gold, 14 Silver and 14 Bronze…I come from a village where there are no… https://t.co/W7npnd8t3V pic.twitter.com/ZPfNS1q6aW

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2025

Recalling how she discovered the sport, Rasmita added, “I come from a village where there are no sports activities. Boating was taking place in a nearby river, so my friends and I went swimming. While we were swimming, we saw a canoeing-kayaking boat passing by. I didn’t know anything about it, but I found it very interesting. I immediately went home and told my father that I wanted to join this sport.”

Moshin Ali, a local athlete from Srinagar, expressed his delight over winning gold.

“I am very happy that I won a Gold Medal in the Khelo India event, which took place for the first time here in Kashmir. People are discussing it frequently. The entire family is happy. Everyone in Kashmir calls me a Gold Medalist,” he said.

Mohsin won the gold in the K-1 1000m men’s kayaking event.

The family of Mohsin struggles to make ends meet, yet his family encourages him to participate in water sports events. The SAI centre, located at Nehru Park inside Dal Lake, is playing a major role in transforming the careers of water sports athletes.

Mohsin has been training at the SAI’s Nehru Park Centre and honing his skills under the guidance of SAI’s water sports coaches. (ANI)