Female athletes from the Kashmir Valley have proven their&nbsp;mettle in various sports across the world. And now for the first time, Over 200 female athletes are being trained at the water sports center in the middle of the world-Famous Dal Lake to&nbsp;participate in tournaments across India and the world.&nbsp;

While the temperatures in Srinagar were recorded at minus 2.2 degrees, these female water sports athletes are not stopping their training. With freezing temperatures across the region, these girls are training for hours every day on the Dal Lake. From rowing to Canoeing, these Kashmiri girls want to bring laurels for the country.&nbsp;

In the last two years over 70 medals in various tournaments have been won by these female athletes.&nbsp;

''If we talk about the last two or three years, there has been a huge increase in the number&nbsp;of female participations in water sports. There have been around&nbsp;110 medals won by water sports athletes and over 50 percent of these medals are taken by female athletes. Earlier, everyone used to say that water sports are not for women, It was a challenging role for me also when I started. There is a revolution&nbsp;in women participation in Kashmir and soon we will see these girls' winning&nbsp;medals in national and international tournaments,'' said Bilquis Mir, Director of Water Sports.&nbsp;

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Bilquis is among the topmost water sports athletes from the valley herself. She was also a judge on the panel both at the Olympics as well as Asian games. She has represented Kashmir at Various international tournaments and won dozens of medals. And now she not only trains but inspires Kashmiri girls to pick up water sports as their&nbsp;career. She says Kashmiri girls have a lot of natural strength and can-do wonders in the water sports. She is not only looking&nbsp;at the city but rural areas searching for the talent to be part of the sports.&nbsp;

''It's winter and minus temperatures and despite that these girls are training for hours every day on the lake. I have trained over 200 female athletes, and I think there is so much talent especially in the rural areas in the Kashmir region. There is natural strength&nbsp;in the girls of the valley. We have a world class facility available in Kashmir. We are blessed with natural water resources both wild and still. Government has taken huge steps with regard to water sports,'' said Bilquis Mir, Director Water Sports.&nbsp;

The training continues everyday despite the harsh weather conditions. Girls from every district of the Kashmir region are being trained at this facility. These girls only hope to represent India at the International championships and win laurels for the country.&nbsp;

''My first national tournament was in 2014 and we were able to win a gold in that championship. And that was when I decided that sports is going to be my priority.&nbsp; I have played a lot of National&nbsp;tournaments so far and now I am focussed on International championships. I urge all the girls that sports are great for us. We can make a career&nbsp;out of it so that we are not dependent on anyone. I am sure Kashmiri girls will soon represent India at International level. We have the best equipment and due to that we are able to practice nicely,'' said Sumaira Bashir, Athlete.&nbsp;

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And with such an increase in the number of female sportswomen in water sports, more and more girls are getting interested in joining the sport. And nothing is stopping these girls from training as the national tournaments are approaching. Some of these athletes have also been provided jobs under the sports category and adjusted in the water sports department.&nbsp;

''I started my sports journey in 2014, since I live on the lake, I saw Bilquis Mam training here. She once asked me to join the sports and I said yes. I was sitting at home, and I decided to join and I am glad I did. My dream is to play at international level, and we are practising very hard. It's extremely cold and temperatures are below zero but despite that we are training. We can't stop training as nationals are approaching. Girls are everywhere, and I ask young girls to join the water sports and I am also getting a job due to this, '' said Peer Mehak, Athlete.&nbsp;

The water sports department is now using natural water bodies across various districts of Kashmir region to train the athletes. Lakes like Wular, Manasbal, Ranjeet Sagar and Dal Lake are being utilised for training the young water sports athletes.&nbsp;

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Female athletes from the Kashmir Valley have proven their mettle in various sports across the world. And now for the first time, Over 200 female athletes are being trained at the water sports center in the middle of the world-Famous Dal Lake to participate in tournaments across India and the world.

Female athletes from the Kashmir Valley have proven their mettle in various sports across the world. And now for the first time, Over 200 female athletes are being trained at the water sports center in the middle of the world-Famous Dal Lake to participate in tournaments across India and the world. While the temperatures in Srinagar were recorded at minus 2.2 degrees, these female water sports athletes are not stopping their training. With freezing temperatures across the region, these girls are training for hours every day on the Dal Lake. From rowing to Canoeing, these Kashmiri girls want to bring laurels for the country. In the last two years over 70 medals in various tournaments have been won by these female athletes. ''If we talk about the last two or three years, there has been a huge increase in the number of female participations in water sports. There have been around 110 medals won by water sports athletes and over 50 percent of these medals are taken by female athletes. Earlier, everyone used to say that water sports are not for women, It was a challenging role for me also when I started. There is a revolution in women participation in Kashmir and soon we will see these girls' winning medals in national and international tournaments,'' said Bilquis Mir, Director of Water Sports. Also read | Musk says Apple has threatened to block Twitter from App Store Bilquis is among the topmost water sports athletes from the valley herself. She was also a judge on the panel both at the Olympics as well as Asian games. She has represented Kashmir at Various international tournaments and won dozens of medals. And now she not only trains but inspires Kashmiri girls to pick up water sports as their career. She says Kashmiri girls have a lot of natural strength and can-do wonders in the water sports. She is not only looking at the city but rural areas searching for the talent to be part of the sports. ''It's winter and minus temperatures and despite that these girls are training for hours every day on the lake. I have trained over 200 female athletes, and I think there is so much talent especially in the rural areas in the Kashmir region. There is natural strength in the girls of the valley. We have a world class facility available in Kashmir. We are blessed with natural water resources both wild and still. Government has taken huge steps with regard to water sports,'' said Bilquis Mir, Director Water Sports. The training continues everyday despite the harsh weather conditions. Girls from every district of the Kashmir region are being trained at this facility. These girls only hope to represent India at the International championships and win laurels for the country. ''My first national tournament was in 2014 and we were able to win a gold in that championship. And that was when I decided that sports is going to be my priority. I have played a lot of National tournaments so far and now I am focussed on International championships. I urge all the girls that sports are great for us. We can make a career out of it so that we are not dependent on anyone. I am sure Kashmiri girls will soon represent India at International level. We have the best equipment and due to that we are able to practice nicely,'' said Sumaira Bashir, Athlete. Also read | China willing to build closer partnership with Russia on energy, says Xi And with such an increase in the number of female sportswomen in water sports, more and more girls are getting interested in joining the sport. And nothing is stopping these girls from training as the national tournaments are approaching. Some of these athletes have also been provided jobs under the sports category and adjusted in the water sports department. ''I started my sports journey in 2014, since I live on the lake, I saw Bilquis Mam training here. She once asked me to join the sports and I said yes. I was sitting at home, and I decided to join and I am glad I did. My dream is to play at international level, and we are practising very hard. It's extremely cold and temperatures are below zero but despite that we are training. We can't stop training as nationals are approaching. Girls are everywhere, and I ask young girls to join the water sports and I am also getting a job due to this, '' said Peer Mehak, Athlete. The water sports department is now using natural water bodies across various districts of Kashmir region to train the athletes. Lakes like Wular, Manasbal, Ranjeet Sagar and Dal Lake are being utilised for training the young water sports athletes.

Over 200 female athletes trained in water sports with a goal to represent India

Female athletes at the Olympics are pushing for inclusive & comfortable attires. Why do federations persist with scant clothes for female athletes, despite the obvious discomfort? WION's Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Female athletes push for inclusive clothing

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is benefited from more gender diversity. India is one of the countries that have profited the most from the surge in female athletes.

In a historic event for India, the country has sent 56 female athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, making it the country's largest female contingent at the Summer Games.&nbsp;

There are 71 males of the 127 athletes who have qualified for the Olympics, while the remaining 56 are women.

In keeping with the Tokyo Olympics' 'gender balanced' Games theme, five major countries are sending more women athletes than men to the main event.

The United Kingdom, the United States, China, Australia, and Canada have all declared contingents with much more female representation.&nbsp;

Athletics will have the largest representation from India, with a total of 26 athletes qualifying for the Olympics thanks to their outstanding performance.

Shooting, on the other hand, will have the second-largest contingent in the country, with 15 qualified athletes.&nbsp;

India's Olympic team for Tokyo 2020 consists of 127 athletes from 18 sports, including two alternate players and one reserve goalkeeper from the men's and women's hockey teams, respectively.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is benefited from more gender diversity. India is one of the countries that have profited the most from the surge in female athletes. In a historic event for India, the country has sent 56 female athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, making it the country's largest female contingent at the Summer Games.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is benefited from more gender diversity. India is one of the countries that have profited the most from the surge in female athletes. In a historic event for India, the country has sent 56 female athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, making it the country's largest female contingent at the Summer Games. There are 71 males of the 127 athletes who have qualified for the Olympics, while the remaining 56 are women. In keeping with the Tokyo Olympics' 'gender balanced' Games theme, five major countries are sending more women athletes than men to the main event. The United Kingdom, the United States, China, Australia, and Canada have all declared contingents with much more female representation. Athletics will have the largest representation from India, with a total of 26 athletes qualifying for the Olympics thanks to their outstanding performance. Shooting, on the other hand, will have the second-largest contingent in the country, with 15 qualified athletes. India's Olympic team for Tokyo 2020 consists of 127 athletes from 18 sports, including two alternate players and one reserve goalkeeper from the men's and women's hockey teams, respectively. (With inputs from agencies)

Tokyo Olympics 2020: India's highest-ever female participants

Female athletes in Iran are determined to carry on training and keeping fit despite the restrictions imposed by anti-coronavirus measures. Life for female athletes in the strict Muslim nation was already complicated by the regulations on clothing and the virus outbreak added to their problems.

Iran's sportswomen fight to keep fit despite coronavirus curbs

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/liverpool-set-for-nike-deal-after-winning-new-balance-case-258176">Nike</a> announced its new Victory Swim Collection on Wednesday which will include a Full-Coverage Swimsuit and will&nbsp;provide a game-changing option for female athletes seeking full coverage and a full range of motion in the water.&nbsp;

The Nike Victory Swim Line is slated to&nbsp;be available globally at select retailers and online from February 1, 2020,&nbsp;onwards. It will&nbsp;include swim separate options of hijab, tunic top and leggings for modest swimwear along with the full coverage swimsuit.&nbsp;

"The design of the Nike Victory Swim Collection serves a variety of needs from modesty preferences to sun protection and represents Nike's commitment to inclusive design, providing more women with game-changing innovation to enjoy sport," the company said.

Nike was inspired by athletes passionate response to the company’s ''Pro Hijab''&nbsp;in 2017 which addressed issues that female athletes faced trying to find a hijab that worked well for a particular sport in a time hijabs were not fully understood.&nbsp;

Nike designers were introduced to the striking gap in apparel for water sports with athletes commenting that swimwear presented a barrier, rather than a conduit, to enjoying the water.&nbsp;

While variations of “Burkinis” can be found in several Islamic countries and online, the attire is not appropriate for swimming as it weighs the swimmer down, a problem that Nike seems to have solved by making its new line from fabric that is lightweight, breathable and quick-drying with UPF 40+ sun protection.&nbsp;

The company said that it was inspired by Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, the first in her sport to don the hijab in competition.&nbsp;

Nike’s Creative Director, VP, Martha Moore said that the company was excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport through the means of creative thinking and inclusive design.&nbsp;

“The more we listened, the more possibility we saw to serve female athletes in new dimensions…As we continue broadening our vision for innovation, we’re excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport by thinking creatively and designing inclusively. To us, Nike Victory Swim Collection shows the power of innovation to invite all women to discover the joy of sport,” said Moore in a statement.&nbsp;

Nike announced its new Victory Swim Collection on Wednesday which will include a Full-Coverage Swimsuit and will provide a game-changing option for female athletes seeking full coverage and a full range of motion in the water.

Nike announced its new Victory Swim Collection on Wednesday which will include a Full-Coverage Swimsuit and will provide a game-changing option for female athletes seeking full coverage and a full range of motion in the water. The Nike Victory Swim Line is slated to be available globally at select retailers and online from February 1, 2020, onwards. It will include swim separate options of hijab, tunic top and leggings for modest swimwear along with the full coverage swimsuit. "The design of the Nike Victory Swim Collection serves a variety of needs from modesty preferences to sun protection and represents Nike's commitment to inclusive design, providing more women with game-changing innovation to enjoy sport," the company said. Nike was inspired by athletes passionate response to the company’s ''Pro Hijab'' in 2017 which addressed issues that female athletes faced trying to find a hijab that worked well for a particular sport in a time hijabs were not fully understood. Nike designers were introduced to the striking gap in apparel for water sports with athletes commenting that swimwear presented a barrier, rather than a conduit, to enjoying the water. While variations of “Burkinis” can be found in several Islamic countries and online, the attire is not appropriate for swimming as it weighs the swimmer down, a problem that Nike seems to have solved by making its new line from fabric that is lightweight, breathable and quick-drying with UPF 40+ sun protection. The company said that it was inspired by Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, the first in her sport to don the hijab in competition. Nike’s Creative Director, VP, Martha Moore said that the company was excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport through the means of creative thinking and inclusive design. “The more we listened, the more possibility we saw to serve female athletes in new dimensions…As we continue broadening our vision for innovation, we’re excited to inspire more women to see themselves in sport by thinking creatively and designing inclusively. To us, Nike Victory Swim Collection shows the power of innovation to invite all women to discover the joy of sport,” said Moore in a statement.

Nike announces new swimwear collection to include ‘Swim Hijab’  

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