CRC, Ladies College Rowing champs

Historic 23rd Rowing Nationals concludes:

Richard DWIGHT

ROWING: The highly successful 23rd Rowing Nationals sponsored for the second time by Mobitel and organised by the ARASL was historic. It was mainly so, because the different races after a considerable lapse in time, were being conducted along three lanes along the ‘1,000 metre’ water stretch last Saturday on the Beira Waters.

Furthermore, with the future in mind this regatta was broad-based to be elaborate, with additional categories and events where around 200 oarsmen/women participated in the 164 races.

This was made known to the gathering by the President of the ARASL, Deva Henry at the awards ceremony. He said that the large crowds that surged to watch the action to display much enthusiasm, proves wrong the thinking of an individual or two that rowing is on the wane to be dead. On the contrary,

Henry asserted that sport far from being dead is very much alive and, that with the help of FISA a reputed coach will be coming here to train local coaches shortly, while two promising scullers will be sent out to China for training.

Those who impressed to win gold, silver and bronze medals, not to mention certificates and, some of those who caught the eye were: Udesh Hettiarachchi, Mewan Gunewardena, Devaka Seneviratne, Reshane Fernando and Lashika Weerasinghe from CRC. J. Hussein and J. C. Nishantha from the Navy.

Amenthi Weerasinghe, Amayi Madawala, Amaya Jayasuriya and Sarani Jayawardena from Ladies College. Sachitra Jayatilaka, Vinuri Jayasundera, Swarnamali Wijesinghe and Sanjeewani Kularatne from Musaeus College while for Ananda Duminda Mudalige and Isuru Kodigala stood out.

The results

Men’s Open Single Scull - winner - Udesh Hettiarachchi of the Colombo Rowing Club.

Men’s Open Double Scull - winners - Udesh Hettiarachchi (B) Mewan Gunawardena (S) (Colombo Rowing Club).

Men’s Open Pair - winners - J. M. Hussein (B) J. C. Nishantha (S) (Sri Lanka Navy).

Men’s Open Coxless Four - winners - Udesh Hettiarachchi (B) Mewan Gunawardena (2) Reshane Fernando (3), Devaka Seneviratne (S) (Colombo Rowing Club)

Women’s Open Single Scull - winner - Amenthi Weerasinghe (Ladies College, Colombo).

Women’s Double Scull - winners - Amenthi Weerasinghe (B) Amayi Madawala (Ladies College, Colombo).

Women’s Open Pair - winner - Sachitra Jayatilaka (B) Vinuri Jayasundara (S) (Musaeus College, Colombo).

Women’s Coxed Four - Swarnamali Wijesinghe (B) Vinuri Jayasundara, Sachitra Jayatilaka, Naduni Perera (S), Sanjeewani Kularatne (COX) (Musaeus College, Colombo).

Apart from the above, the Overall Championship Trophies for the Open Junior and Intermediate Categories for both Men and Women were awarded as follows:

Men’s Open Senior Category Overall Trophy - Colombo Rowing Club.

Women’s Open Category Overall Trophy - Ladies College, Colombo.

Men’s Intermediate Category Overall Trophy - Colombo Rowing Club.

Women’s Intermediate Category Overall Trophy - Ladies College, Colombo.

Men’s Junior Category Overall Trophy - Royal College, Colombo.

Women’s Junior Category Overall Trophy - Musaeus College, Colombo.