BLRC to uplift Rowing

Richard Dwight

The coming to be of the Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club (BLRC) in December last year, was a farsighted move in the promotion and fostering of rowing in Sri Lanka. Mainly because the Bolgoda Lake is so vast that it provides opportunities for the sport to progress in keeping with international standards.

Comparatively, it could easily hold races on a ‘2000 meter’ water stretch and, have as well four to six parallel lanes for participants to compete during a race. This being a prerequisite, the Bolgoda Lake does therefore conform to the requirements as laid out by the international body for competitive races in rowing.

Perhaps it was this, that formed the basis and thinking for a rowing club to be established in Bolgoda. And so with the sole intent of focusing on the sport with the future in mind - a seminar was held last Saturday at the Ran Mal Hotel Moratuwa. It was initiated by the President of the BLRC, Sithira Wickremasekera, and its Vice President, Chanaka Talpahewa.

They did have the good fortune of having the internationally qualified rowing and athletic coach, Srimal Wickremasinghe, to conduct the seminar.

Wickremasinghe in addition is a physiotherapist and holds a degree in physical education, which went to draw as much as 70 oarsmen/women for the seminar - from the schools Royal, Musaeus, Ananda, Bishops, Prince of Wales, Asian International, the Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa, the Navy, the Air Force, the BLRC and the Kotalawela Defence Academy.

Wickremasinghe elaborated on the importance of supplementary exercises and drills apart from the water training, which will stand in good to reduce the time taken at competitions. He did also give practical demonstrations of some of the exercises. Being aware of the local conditions he explained how to adopt and as well use available material to improvise equipment at a low cost. The emphasis being to customise to suit the local conditions.

Wickremasinghe felt that there is a lot of potential available and, if correct training methods are adhered to and development programs are implemented - then the future of rowing in Sri Lanka could be taken to the next level.

His observation was that Sri Lanka should concentrate on regional events that will bring experience and exposure to athletes for further development. Coaches he concluded will have to adjust and adopt to newer training patterns so as to achieve the potential of the talent available.

Speaking to the Daily News Chanaka Talpahewa, the former national Rowing Captain and the current Vice President of the Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club said that this seminar was a part of the overall program to take the sport of rowing to the next level.

He added further that since the establishment of the BLRC in December 2008, the club has been striving to promote the sport not only in the Moratuwa area - but also doing its best to raise the overall standard of rowing in Sri Lanka.

The President of BLRC said that the policy of the club was to support and nature deserving talented oarsmen/women without any discrimination.