As we begin a new year, its time look back at the past year that was filled with races in the waters of Bolgoda and Beira, that brought unexpected teams to the winning stand, by means of their hard work, team spirit and the undisrupted will to take it home.
The Ananda College rowing team has been one of the quiet teams in the rowing community, but this year they have left everyone awestruck by winning the overall championship in the under 16, under 18 and under 20 categories at the Inter-Schools Regatta conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Rowing Association.
Ravin Karunaratne – Captain of the Ananda College Rowing team spent a few minutes of his time sharing his and the team’s journey on the ground and in the water to become the champions.
About the Captain
Ravin started his rowing days as a cox nine years ago and has been a part of the team squad since 2011, completing his final season as the captain, steering the team towards a historic record to become champions in three categories at the Inter schools regatta. He has managed to secure gold in 2013 in the under 18 fours and double scull events and bronze in under 20 fours in 2014 and silver in under 20 fours in 2015.
About the Team
2015 has been a year to make records; the crew has 31 members, the largest in the history of Ananda Rowing. Senior oarsmen of the squad make up half the team with the juniors closely following their footsteps.
Usually in rowing teams there is notion to grade the boat as A and B, the best boats will be A-four, A-scull, A-pair and A-double. But the Anandians do not break their boats into A and B; it’s always been gold and maroon. The team believes that “It’s the winning attitude that should drive the team, not the grading of the boat”; this approach has made their juniors as competitive as their seniors.
Achievements in 2015
Since the season started the Ananda College (AC) rowing crew participated in several club events and national competitions, though their target was to excel in the inter-schools regatta. The team ended as runners up at the senior level at the rowing nationals. Likewise they showed their colours in the indoor rowing competition where they mastered the technique of handling the erg machine. The team grabbed the Silver medal in 2km, Gold and Silver in the 800m and Silver in 4 X 500m relay, all in the under 17 & 18 categories. The AC crew also did not miss the opportunity to participate in the eights regatta that began its first sweep in Bolgoda this year.
How we practice
The crew starts its week on Tuesday and ends it on Sunday with the beach run and rowing. During the week they combine rowing in CRC and Diyawanna Lake, erg practice, physical fitness and gym, and rest on Monday to recharge themselves.
Time to bond
The crew is a family despite the levels of seniority; all the members treat each other as their own brothers. The team discusses their path to victory every day to make it a reality. Cycling, swimming, and movies are the activities the brothers bond over in their free time.
Special mention of gratitude
The AC crew could not have achieved these heights without some pillars of support, the teacher in charge of the rowing team, the old boys who come in even after they have left the school to help and see their successors follow the path to victory. Finally Coach Mihin Amaratunga, who joined the team in 2012 and since he took over the crew, this year was the biggest victory for the Anandians.
Plans for the future
Ananda Rowing crew has set a record at the Inter-school regatta this year; their challenge for the future will be to break their own records. And the team is also aiming to participate in international events to challenge diverse opponents.
The team rows hard following their motto “Work hard in silence and let the success make the noise”, the noise was loud and clear this year, we wish the team success in greater waters in the coming years too.
