India is half the way surrounded by water. From the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the south, India has vast expanse of water bodies bordering its land. And is not lacking behind from many big and small rivers and streams originated from the towering mountains of Himalayan range. Some of them are Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Kaveri, Narmada, Godavari and Krishna.
The names of these places itself brings out a zeal to water sports lovers. The list for India is very long instead - sailing, boating, rowing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, angling, yachting, surfing, wind surfing, kite-surfing, snorkeling and diving. Each of these are of different taste and adventure.
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| SAILING |
Sailing as a sport is actually originated in the 17th cent. in Holland. Charles II then brought it into England. It later became a part of Olympic games since 1990. Ocean racing is a new additional adventure to this sport. It is nothing but long distance solo event in the ocean.
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| BOATING |
Pleasure boating is the favourite family sport ever. The “kettuvalams” or the house boats of Kerala, India are an adaptation of the pleasure boats and were in use by the Maharajas for their pleasure cruises in the Backwaters of Kerala now being developed as the West Coast Canal. The nature of pleasure boating as a sport is such that age appears no barrier to long-term success. The Catamaran applied to any water craft having twin hulls. Originally it denoted a form of sailing and paddling raft employed on the coasts of India.
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| ROWING |
Rowing is nothing but the art of propelling a boat by means of oars operated by hand. It was used in the ancient times for both war and commerce. But now only is used for propelling small boats or as a sport. In modern racing, each member of the rowing team, or crew, uses both hands to pull one oar through the water. The oars, attached to riggings jutting out from the side of the boats to increase leverage, are positioned alternately on opposite sides of the vessel. The boat, or shell, is sometimes steered by a coxswain, who sits at the back of the vessel and manipulates tiller ropes attached to a rudder; the coxswain also directs the speed and rhythm of the crew's strokes. Sculling is a variant of rowing in which the rower controls two oars, one in each hand. Sculling teams consist of one, two, or four members; rowing crews have two, four, or eight members, with or without a coxswain. Rowing and sculling events for men have been included in the Olympic games since 1900; women's races were first run in 1976.
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| SWIMMING |
Swimming is an integral part of almost all water-based activities. It is also a competitive sport itself. People can swim in any body of water large enough to permit free movement. These areas include ponds, lakes, rivers, the ocean, and pools. Most people enjoy swimming in water that is between 18° and 29°C (64° and 84°F). The act of moving through the water by using the arms, legs, and body in motions called strokes. Beginners first put their heads in the water and blow bubbles by exhaling. Gradually, students progress to floating, treading water, and ultimately, learning the techniques of the major strokes. The most common strokes are the crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and sidestroke.
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| CANOEING |
Canoeing is a sport of propelling a canoe through water. Canoes are also used as transportation vehicles. It is usually propelled by means of paddles, although sails and, more recently, outboard motors are also used. Racing canoes are propelled by either sails or paddles.
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| KAYAKING |
The modern versions of the kayak are also popular as a sporting boat. Kayak events have been a feature of the Olympic Games since 1936. The kayak is propelled by a double-bladed paddle and is primarily a hunting canoe, originally made of sealskin stretched over a framework of whalebone or driftwood. It is completely covered except for the opening in which the paddler sits. Since the paddler wears a waterproof skin shirt which is laced to the boat, he can turn all the way over without sinking.
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| FISHING |
Sports Fishing or Recreational fishing, which is practiced throughout the world with a set of regulations as to the season in which a certain species of fish may be caught, the minimum permissible size, and the number that may be taken per day, may be done in either fresh or saltwater. The most popular game fish are salmon, trout, bass, and pike in freshwater, and sailfish, tuna, marlin, tarpon, and bonefish in saltwater.
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| YACHTING |
King Charles II popularized yachting in England after receiving a yacht as a gift from the Dutch people. In 1720 the first known formal organization of yacht devotees, the Cork Water Club, now the Royal Cork Yacht Club, was founded in Ireland. Yachting later developed as Speed Sport and the first recorded Yachting race ' The 100 Guineas Cup race' was held in the year 1851 which involved a 60-mile circuit in the Southern British Island of Isle of Wight.
These are some water sports which are very popular now a days in India which should be further enhanced for betterment. It will not only enhance sports but also tourism in various adventurous places of India.
good but it can be better............
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