The 5th annual Asian Schools Rowing Association Regatta (ASRA) was held on the 7th and 8th of February in Dubai.
Ladies College swept the boards by bagging both the Girls senior and junior categories. Ladies’ College, known for their prowess in rowing, brought 12 Gold medals and 2 Bronze medals back home. Bay View Academy, Pakistan, secured 2nd place in the Senior Girls category with 6 Silver medals. Third place was shared by Bishops’ College and Visakha Vidyalaya, each taking home 4 Bronze medals. Second and third place in the Girls junior category were won by CJM & CAS from Pakistan. Musaeus College won a Silver medal in the junior single scull event. This was the first regatta that Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya participated in.
Bay View Academy Pakistan won the Senior Boys category with 7 Gold medals. Asian International School (AIS) came second with 6 Silvers and 1 Bronze. Third place went to St. Josephs’ College with 6 Bronze medals. RAK of UAE won the Junior Boys category with 1 Gold medal and 6 Silver medals. Prince of Wales College came second with 2 Gold medals and BVM India came third with 1 Silver medal and 2 Bronze medals. Nalanda College, D.S.Senanayake College and Gateway College also participated in the regatta.
The Sri Lankan schools really stood out at this regatta, with Ladies’, Bishops, Visakha, AIS, St. Josephs and Prince of Wales securing overall positions. Many of the Sri Lankan schools that participated at ASRA are relatively new to the rowing circuit and yet, they have all performed exceptionally well. Prince of Wales winning two Gold medals in the junior category is an example of how fast these newer schools are coming up in rowing. Rowing at international regattas like ASRA is also a good learning experience for oarsmen and oarswomen. Congratulations to all the schools that participated at ASRA this year, and thank you for maintaining the high standard of Sri Lankan rowing.
