Indoor Rowing

For the first time in the history of rowing in Sri Lanka, an Indoor Rowing Competition was held last week, 1st (Saturday) and 2nd (Sunday) of May 2010 at Ranmal Holiday Resort, Panadura.

In European countries, during the off season (usually in the winter), as they can't do boat training in the outdoors, they have invented a machine called Ergo Meter. It is actually a simulator and simulates the rowing activity(complete rowing cycle).

To preserve the competitiveness of athletes, they organize "Indoor Rowing championships" in every year in which athletes have to row in the ergometers.

Nowadays ergometer is considered as a very important device for rowing, In Sri Lanka there are some institution who has these devices. So the Kothelawala Deffence University and the Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club took the initiative in conducting such an Indoor Rowing Championship in Sri Lanka.

As this is a very much new experience to the Rowing community, almost every institutions involved in rowing took part in this inaugural event. The rowing team of Sri Lanka army exposed them selves after a long time in this competition.

The whole competition was conducted based on age categories:

• 13 years and below
• 14 – 16 years
• 17 – 20 years
• 21 – 25 years
• 26 – 31 years
• 32 – 38 years
• Over 39 years (Masters)
• Elite Category.

And there was a special event called Bolgoda Endurance Challenge event which was an open.

All these categories pertained for both men and women. Only the under 13 event was rowed for 1000m. all others were 2000m. And for each category there were individual events (each athlete has to row 2000m) and team events (where each team consists of 4 members and each one has to row 500m x 4).

At the end of the day kothelawala diffence university bagged most of the trophies in the age categories over 20 and they were even threatening Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force. Royal College and St. Thomas College were doing well in school categories while prince of wales college, Moratuwa also got some medals.

In women's categories It was again Kotelawala deffence university got many of the trophies in age categories over 20. Meauseus College, St. Bishop's College and Ladies College were among the winners of the school category events.

As this competition is to be organized annually, we can expect more and more competition in the upcoming years, and also because of the rapid growth of the sport in the country, we can expect more and more institutions will become aware of the sport and will coming in to play in upcoming regattas.

Rowing Nationals 2009

This year’s rowing nationals was held in the waters of the Bolgoda Lake, Panadura and this year was the very first time that rowing nationals was taken to outstations rather than holding at the Bere lake, Colombo.

For the 25^th time running Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka(ARASL) organized the rowing nationals where University of Moratuwa Rowing Team was the technical facilitators by laying the lanes according to the international standards.

There were 15 institutions and more than 200 participants took part in this great event and for their first time Kothalawala Defense University (KDU), Prince of Wales College and Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club (BLRC) appeared and women’s team of the KDU made a significant impact on the rowing community by showing their talents after having just 2 months practice.

All the races were held under the following categories.

· Under 16

· Under 19

· Over 19

· Open

Results:

Men’s Champs:-

· Under 16 – Royal College

· Under 19 – St. Thomas College

· Over 19 – University of Moratuwa

· Open – St. Thomas College

Women’s Champs:-

· Under 16 – Ladies College / Bishop’s College

· Under 19 – Ladies College

· Over 19 – University of Colombo

· Open – Ladies College

This was the first time that the University Of Moratuwa has won an age category championship in a Rowing Nationals. Before this, they were the senior champs at the Bolgoda Regatta 2009 which was held in July, this year. As the pioneers of organizing regattas at the Bolgoda Lake and who has done a prominent job in promoting the sport among Sri Lankans, University of Moratuwa Rowing Team is now in a position that can go up to the international level even beating Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy. Also they are the people who introduced the international standard 2000m straight course multilane rowing races to the Sri Lankan rowing community.

Bolgoda Regatta - 2009

For the 6^th time running, the University of Moratuwa Rowing Team and division of physical education are planning to organize Sri Lanka's one of most the popular rowing competition held annually – the “Bolgoda Regatta 2009” with the assistance of Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club (BLRC), panadura. This Regatta is still the only multi-lane rowing competition in Sri Lanka raced in a straight 2000m course according to international standards. Almost all the rowing Institutions in Sri Lanka have participated in this annual event and it has been complimented time and again as a well organized Regatta.

This year's regatta is scheduled to be hold on 4th and 5th of July at Ranmal Holiday Resort, Panadura. University of Moratuwa Rowing Team welcome you all to come and join and have a fantastic time.

Rowing At Bolgoda Lake!

As an initial step to make popular "ROWING" as a sport among Sri Lanka and to promote rowing even outside of colombo, a rowing club named Bolgoda Lake rowing Club(BLRC) established in the last year, in the premises of Ranmal Holiday Resort- panadura, in colaboration with the University of Moratuwa Rowing Team.

Bolgoda lake, wich is a very beautiful lake, in western province, is very famous among the people who love mother nature of Sri Lanka. It covers both colombo and kaluthara disticts and has calm waters which is ideal for rowing.
Although Rowing is a sprot done since about 1900, it has been not famous in Sri Lanka due to various reasons.