Asian School Indoor Rowing Championship inaugurated

Briefing the media persons here about the mega  sporting event, veteran oarsman and founder of Bengal Water Sports-the organiser of this event, Shakeel Ahmed  said, “Apart from 75,000 students from 100 schools of West Bengal,  many other  states  including  Assam, Bihar , Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab  and Jammu & Kashmir  and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal  will take part in this meet.“

“Bengal water Sports team members will now spread out first to different districts of state and other states of the country and then to then to  the neighbouring countries to conduct the  championship," Shakeel said adding,"a separate competition would also be held  for the specially abled children  along with this meet."

Speaking on the occasion Chandan Roy Chowdhury said, “Indoor rowing is simulated  actions of  rowing  through Argometer  on land."

“Indoor Rowing is now quite popular and regularly practiced in the  western countries  though it is comparatively a new entrant in the world of sports in India and other Asian countries," he said.

Giving details  of the competition  Shakeel Ahmed, who earlier won many international medals for the country, said, "It would be held for three age groups -  under 12 , under 15 and under 18 years  -both for boys and girls.  After intra-school competition  18 students -  9 boys and 9 girls -  would be selected from each school  who will then compete in district and thereafter in  state level championships."

All the state level winners, along with competitors from other countries, will join the grand finale to be held  at an indoor stadium in the city on Dec 2 next.

(Reporting by Manik Banerjee)