‘True sportsmanship overrides all else’: PT Usha inaugurates National Maritime Games 2025

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) In a momentous celebration of athletic excellence and maritime unity, P.T. Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association and Member of Parliament, inaugurated the National Maritime Games 2025 on Monday at IMU, Palm Beach Road, Navi Mumbai.

In her address, PT Usha inspired hundreds of maritime cadets and athletes with her words.

“True sportsmanship overrides all else. In the arena of sport, there are no losers — every participant is a winner. It is not just about medals, but about the courage, discipline, and integrity each athlete brings to the field,” she said.

She also expressed her joy at being present for every cadet who is part of the Games, acknowledging the spirit of unity and discipline displayed by India’s maritime community.

The grand opening ceremony was graced by an eminent gathering of leaders from the maritime and sporting fraternity. Shyam Jagannath, Director General of Shipping and Deependra Singh Bisen, Deputy Director General of Shipping, led the host dignitaries. They were joined by DIG Syed Mohammed of the Indian Coast Guard, Captain B.K. Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India, and Pavithran Kallada, Deputy MD, PSA India

Also present were Namdev Shirgaonkar, Secretary General of the Maharashtra Olympic Association, Captain Girish Phadnis, Competition Director of the Indian Maritime Games and President of the Yachting Association of Maharashtra, and Mrs. Kiran Phadnis, Director of K2K Sports Management, the force behind the event’s planning and execution. Maritime academia was represented by Captain Mihir Chandra, Director of the Indian Maritime University and Captain Vivek Bhandarkar, among other distinguished personalities from the shipping, ports, and logistics sectors.

The National Maritime Games 2025 features over 20 sporting events including Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Badminton, Carrom, Cricket, Chess, Golf, Futsal, Pickleball and Indoor Rowing, and continues to be a vibrant platform promoting fitness, sportsmanship and unity across India’s maritime community.

As the sun set over Navi Mumbai, the spirit of the sea met the spirit of sport, marking the National Maritime Games 2025 as a celebration of resilience, camaraderie, and India’s rising tide of maritime strength.

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