Jump into the Pune Underwater Festival!

Have you ever thought of experiencing the rush of being underwater? Look no further; The city based Finkick Adventures is organising the Pune Underwater Festival, a first of its kind, to introduce the public to underwater sports and diving. “We are trying to introduce diving to people and make it a sport for the masses so that they can get interested and pursue it further,” says Kshitij Mittal who started Finkick Adventures along with his partner Ankit Saboo. Both Mittal and Saboo thought that a more effective way of getting more people into diving and scuba activities was to make such facilities available in the city.

To make underwater sports more interesting, the festival has lined up several activities and underwater diving games like water polo and underwater hockey, “So far, Finkick is the only certified company in India to train in underwater hockey. We want to take the sport to various cities as well as, make a team and participate in international competitions,” says Mittal. Adding to the experience, will also be an underwater photo booth and message boards. A photography exhibition will also be on display to show people the beauty of marine life through the lens of several renowned photographers.

The festival is also broadening its horizons by making it inclusive for people who are physically challenged. According to Mittal, they too can be included into the mainstream activities when the training methods are modified for them, “We don’t need to call them specially abled because and have to make them a part of mainstream activities. Sometime back I met Divyanshu Ganatra, he flies a glider and he is visually challenged. He started a company called Adventures Beyond Barriers,that arranges adventure sports for people with disabilities. We are partnering with them as well.There are not enough outlets in India to encourage people with disabilities into adventure sports.”

Apart from fun and engaging games, the festival will also be a place where marine enthusiasts can get the chance to learn more about underwater biodiversity and its endangered state. Varsha Rajkhowa, the brand ambassador of Finkick, who also just won the title of Miss Scuba International 2016, will be there to educate people about ocean conservation and its endangered state. “We want to act as a bridge between people who want to work in ocean conservation and marine biologists. Generally, to work in this field you have to have some qualification in marine biology but we try to connect the enthusiasts with the qualified people so that they can assist them. We are also planning to start our own conservation project with Rajkhowa soon,” explains Mittal.

The festival will be held on November 27.

http://www.puneuwf.com/

 

 

Vijayta Lalwani