Sri Lankan rowers for Singapore and Qatar

by Leslie Fernando

Sri Lanka oarsmen and oarswomen will have the great opportunity to participate in five major rowing championships for the year 2006, two foreign regattas in Singapore and Doha, Qatar and three championship meets here.

Deva Henry the President of the Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka (ARASL) said that in addition to the five major international championship meets Sri Lanka will also concentrate on domestic events.

Henry added that rowers will participate at the Asian Junior Rowing Championships in Singapore in June, the annual Colombo-Madras Regatta in Colombo in July, South Asian Games in Colombo in August, Amateur Rowing Association of East Regatta in Colombo (date not finalised), and Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in December.

The ARASL hope to conduct the domestic fixtures according to schedule. The Colombo Rowing Club will conduct most of the domestic events in addition to dual regattas between University of Colombo - University of Moratuwa, Musaeus College - Ladies College and the prestigious Royal-Thomian annual Regatta and the Boat Race.

Henry also said that the national training pool comprising 32 rowers will begin training shortly on the Beira waters from end of this month in preparation for the South Asian Games to be held in Colombo in August. The rowers will train under Lakmal Wickremage, National coach and Saliya Wijesekera assistant coach.