Gorakhpur, 27 March (H.S.):

The build‑up for the 2026 Asian Games has stepped up with the Indian women’s rowing team beginning a national training camp in Gorakhpur. The preparatory camp started on Friday at the Water Sports Complex on Ramgarh Tal.

Organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at the request of the Rowing Federation of India, the camp is aimed at readying the crew for the Asian Games to be held in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

Rowing events at the Asian Games are scheduled between September 20 and 25 in the Nagaraagawa International Regatta Course at Kūzu in Gifu Prefecture. According to Sudhir Sharma, vice‑president of the Rowing Federation of India and secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Rowing Association, selected athletes and coaches have already reached Gorakhpur and the training sessions are underway.

The camp will run for 51 days, marking the first time that a national rowing camp of this duration is being hosted in Uttar Pradesh.

During the camp, rowers will practice across multiple boat categories, including single sculls, double sculls, pairs and fours, honing both their individual technique and team coordination. The calm waters of Ramgarh Tal, developed to international standards, are expected to help athletes refine their strokes and improve overall performance in a controlled environment.

The men’s rowing team’s national camp is already underway separately at the Army Node in Pune, forming a parallel pipeline of preparation for the Asian Games.

The selected women rowers in the camp are Kiran (Haryana), Mrunmayi Salgankar (Maharashtra), Rukmini, Vindhya Shankar (Madhya Pradesh), B. Anandi, Kiran Devi (All India Police Sports Control Board / Meghalaya), Ashwini Kumarar, Saniya Krishna, Anna Helen, Heema T., Angel Mary (Kerala), Monica Badoriya and Anshika Bharati (Odisha).

The camp is being led by coaches Rajesh Kumar from the Services Sports Control Board and Mamata Jena from the All India Police Sports Control Board, who will oversee the technical and physical conditioning of the squad.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar