Madras - Colombo boat race today

World’s oldest boat race

Richard DWIGHT

BOAT RACE: The Madras Boat Club (MBC) as against the Colombo Rowing Club (CRC) has lost the overall men’s championship for the Deepam Challenge Trophy for the past two successive years-and the question that would be uppermost in the minds of many rowing enthusiasts, would be as to whether Madras would be this time lucky to outrow Colombo this Saturday afternoon on the waters of the Beira Lake.

It must be however said to the credit of the MBC that though they have conceded the Deepam Challenge Trophy in consecutive years, they have however done well to win the all important ‘Fours’ (a combined effort of 4 oarsmen) repeatedly.

This is regarded as the world’s oldest inter-club boat race between MBC and CRC and will be marked by its traditional healthy rivalry and close ties that have existed between these two clubs since the inauguration of their first boat race in 1898.

This will be the 73rd encounter, with their being no duel on 36 occasions for reasons beyond their control.

Much excitement and enthusiasm prevails at the rowing club and is bound to spread over as the action takes place when the races are on.

There will be six events for men viz; ‘B’ sculls 4 pts, ‘A’ sculls 6 pts, ‘B’ paris 6 pts, ‘A’ pairs 8 pts, ‘B’ fours 8 pts and ‘A’ fours (boat race) 10 pts. amounting to aggregate 42 points. Colombo gained the maximum number of points to win the Deepam Challenge Trophy last year.

There will be 3 straight forward races bearing no points for women, for the Adayar Cup, which was won by Madras last year, the events are sculls, pairs and the fours.

In addition there will be 3 other events which like the women’s, will carry no points and will not come into the reckoning for the men’s overall championship the events are the master’s fours for the friendship trophy (which was won last year by Madras) the Men’s double sculls and the women’s double sculls.

The Madras team is managed and led by Maradapa Balaji the other men are Rahual Balga, Rohith Ravindra, Thushar Bansal, Rakesh Mohan, Sri Ram, C. Palani V. Vedaraj and Nirup Suresh. Women Gowri Adapa, Kirthi Ramesh, Anisha Simon, Snesha Venkat, Fazila Hussain and Shwesuthi Kamat.

The Colombo men’s team is led by Devaka Seneviratne the others are Udesh Hettiarachchi, Mewan Gunewardene, Dejans de Soyza, Anueshan Selvaraj, Shanilka de Silva, Champaka Namantha, Dinesh Lasantha, and Bassim Hassen. The women’s team is to be finalised.