Overview
- The five-day inaugural edition opened at the Orchid Water Sports Complex on Umiam Lake with 14 franchise teams and 182 sailors from eight countries.
- Organisers set a prize pool of more than ₹1.5 crore with team payouts up to ₹21 lakh and individual awards up to ₹1.5 lakh.
- Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated the event and said the league fits a long-term plan to develop Umiam and draw major tourism and international events to Meghalaya.
- The Umiam Sailing Club is running the league with the state tourism department and UDAY, and Commissioner Lt. Col. Alok Yadav said the volunteer-driven event is applying for records for fleet size and international participation.
- Performances by artists from the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program add a local showcase, while a field ranging from 60-year-old David Fan to 12-year-old Krishna Venkitachalam highlights the sport’s broad reach.