He was speaking at a function here after giving away prizes to the Anti-Submarine Warfare School/Diving School combine which beat other teams to win the keenly contested annual Kochi area boat pulling regatta.
The Vice Admiral underscored the importance of sports in military life at the function.
The race held under six different categories is held over 1.6 km in the Ernakulam channel with Venduruthy-Vikrant bridge being the starting point, a Naval release said.
The whaler boat used in the race is manned by a crew of 5 with a coxswain at the helm.
The Godavari Trophy, given to the team with maximum points in the sporting activities for the year, was awarded to INS Venduruthy.
The Seamanship school conducted the regatta.