My name is Linarani Ganga Dev. I am 20 years old and from Kalahandi, Odisha. I have completed my graduation from Jayaprakash Sandhya Degree College, Bhawanipatna. After finishing my graduation, I joined the Odisha Yachting Association with the help of Dr. Sabir Bux, the founder of the association.

After joining the association, I went to Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, on May 7, 2024, to learn a new water sport called kite surfing. This adventurous sport was featured in the Asian Games. I trained at Aqua Outback, and after two and a half months of practice, I returned to Odisha on July 18, 2024. I love this sport and thoroughly enjoyed my training.

A few days later, I went back to Tamil Nadu for my first kiteboarding championship. This was my first competition in kiteboarding and it was a ranking event. The Tamil Nadu Kiteboarding Championship 2024 was held from August 25 to August 28 at Tamil Nadu, under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India and the Premium Kiteboarding Association. The event was organized by the Chennai Sailing Academy.

**Achievements**

After the championship concluded, I was thrilled to secure 2nd place in the women’s category. I was surprised by this achievement, especially since I had only practiced for two and a half months. It marked the first achievement for Odisha in kite surfing. I am proud to represent Odisha and introduce this new sport to the state.

My aim is to achieve more national and international titles in the future with the support of the Odisha Yachting Association.

Thank you. 🙏