The Indian Navy inaugurated its premier Naval Sailing Node at Upper Lake, widely known as Bhojtal, in Bhopal on 17 May 2026. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, CNS, in the presence of senior officials from defence forces and civil administration, NCC Cadets and students. To commemorate the occasion, over 30 naval personnel from INWTC Visakhapatnam and Navy Rowing, Kayaking, and Canoeing teams presented a spectacular Sail Parade along with kayaking, canoeing, and rowing displays as a backdrop during the event.

Watermanship training has always been an integral part of the training and development procedure for naval personnel, actively building camaraderie and a competitive spirit within their primary domain of operation.

Developed as a state-of-the-art facility, the Sailing Node will be extensively utilised by the Indian Navy Sailing Team, the Navy Rowing, Canoeing, and Kayaking Teams, as well as NCC for their training.  Presently 17 members of Navy Sailing Team out of total 34 personnel in team belong to Madhya Pradesh. The facility aims to motivate more youth of Madhya Pradesh to embrace competitive water sports and inspire them to join the defence forces.

This initiative is a significant step towards realising the Prime Minister’s vision of building world-class sporting talent for the Olympics and Asian Games, and aligns with the objectives of the National Sports Policy to promote excellence and expand the talent pool in competitive sports.