Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Indian Canoeing-Kayaking Team Leaves for Asian Championship in Japan
A team of Indian athletes who race in boats called kayaks and canoes is going to a big competition.
The competition is called the Asian Canoeing and Kayaking Marathon Championship.
It will be held in Kyoto, a city in Japan, from August 4 to 10.
Twelve athletes from different parts of India were chosen for the team.
Three of them come from the state of Maharashtra.
One athlete, Akshay Lilke, has won a gold medal at a national competition.
He is from a college connected to an organization called the Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj.
A sports director named Prof. Hemant Patil will be the team's coach.
The leaders of the canoeing and kayaking associations welcomed the team.
People in Nashik congratulated the athletes and wished them good luck.
The Indian team has departed for the Asian Canoeing and Kayaking Marathon Championship in Kyoto, Japan, scheduled from August 4 to 10.
Three athletes from Maharashtra are in the squad, including national gold-medal-winning kayaker Akshay Lilke and Somnath Lagad.
MVP Sports Director Prof. Hemant Patil was selected as a coach for the Indian team.
The 12-member athlete roster includes competitors from Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Prashant Kushwaha, President of the Indian Canoeing and Kayaking Association, and other officials welcomed the team.
- Who
- The Indian canoeing and kayaking team, including athletes Akshay Lilke, Somnath Lagad, and 10 others, with coach Prof. Hemant Patil.
- What
- The team departed to compete in the Asian Canoeing and Kayaking Marathon Championship.
- When
- The championship is scheduled from August 4 to 10.
- Where
- Kyoto, Japan.
- Why
- To represent India at the Asian Canoeing and Kayaking Marathon Championship.
- Event
- Asian Canoeing and Kayaking Marathon Championship
- Location
- Kyoto, Japan
- Dates
- August 4 to 10
- Team Composition
- 12 athletes and 1 coach
- Maharashtra Athletes
- Akshay Lilke and Somnath Lagad
- Coach
- Prof. Hemant Patil (MVP Sports Director, KTHM College, Nashik)
- Association President
- Prashant Kushwaha, Indian Canoeing and Kayaking Association