Rowing in Sri Lanka gets muscle boost | Sunday Observer

Rowing in Sri Lanka gets muscle boost

22 August, 2021
Dimuth Gunawardena (left) and Amal Edirisuriya exchange documents  after signing the MOU in the presence of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa
Dimuth Gunawardena (left) and Amal Edirisuriya exchange documents after signing the MOU in the presence of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa

Rowing is an attractive sport that has caught the eye of several sports enthusiasts over the world and although there are only a few spectators to watch rowing competitions in Sri Lanka it is a much looked forward to sport here. Besides, it has been an event at the Olympic Games for a long time.

Rowers in Sri Lanka have come a long way in competitions taking place in Asia, particularly with regular races against Indian rowers annually. This has prompted the Sports Ministry to come forward to support the national rowing poolists hone their skills by offering financial grants to help them attain higher performances.

The Ministry signed an MOU with the Sri Lanka Rowing Association (SLRA) at the National Sports Council Auditorium a few days ago with Amal Edirisuriya Director General of the Sports Development Department and Dimuth Gunawardena, President of the SLRA signing the documents.

The National Sports Council, chaired by Mahela Jayawardane and the High Performance Committee had recommended that international achievements can be attained in rowing as well.

Under the agreement a generous sum of over Rs. 42 million will be given to the Rowing Association to support their rowers reach medal winning form at the Asian Games to be held in China in 2022.

The rowing national pool was picked soon after the Rowing Nationals were held in March. Despite setbacks due to the Covid-19 the pool gathered for training at the Diyawanna Oya under national coach Rifath Mohamed.

“A pool of 19 rowers from the Army, Navy and Air Force were picked to go in for immediate high performance training with the formation of a Bio Bubble. The financial grant will be to provide nutrition that will help them attain maximum strength. For this purpose they will be provided with meals and nutrition.

“The money will also be utilized to hire a foreign coach, obtain strength training equipment, enlist a physiotherapist and a doctor who will monitor their progress,” said Dimuth Gunawardena.

“In most Asian countries athletes are picked many years ahead and go into high performance training for important events and this is what I am also doing,” added Gunawardena.

A foreign coach named Pedro Sanz of Spanish origin has been picked and is due to arrive soon after all paper formalities are completed. He has been coaching in France whose junior rowers won two silver medals at the Junior World Championships.

Coach Mohamed said that the rowers come under training for two sessions a day for six days of the week.

“We are aiming to win a gold medal at the Asian Games to be held next year,” said Mohamed.

 

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