CHENNAI: India-Sri Lanka rivalries in sport are usually associated with cricket. But with the Madras Boat Club (MBC) celebrating 150 years, the prestigious Madras-Colombo Regatta is set to offer something different. As part of the celebrations, this annual rowing race will be held on July 21 at Madras Boat Club. Chennai and Colombo take turns in hosting this regatta.
Colombo Rowing Club, a regular visitor to the city for 78 years, was founded three years after MBC. With that many years of experience in rowing, it’s appropriate to say it’s an old rivalry.
The MBC website says the men’s fours event in the Madras-Colombo Regatta is one of the oldest inter-club event in the world.
“The event is going to be a friendly rivalry. Last year we won the championship. This year, it’s going to be very competitive, as the participation and quality has increased from both the clubs. Twenty years back, there used to be only four to five rowers from the clubs. Now, around 30 take part in the event,” says James Joseph, captain of MBC.
Rowing is a serious sport in Sri Lanka, where they begin training in school. It has been a mandatory sport in most Colombo schools since 1960. The Lankan team has come with a 16-member contingent which includes rowers between 25 and 50.
Sajeev De Silva, captain of the Colombo Rowing Club, has been taking part in the event since 2008. He feels the quality of water in Adyar river has improved over time. “For the past five years you can see less dirt in the water and the dark green shade has been vanishing. One can now feel safe to participate. This is a good sign for rowers and we are looking forward to the event.”
The 25-year-old captain reminisces his first visit to Chennai and says how MBC gives them a stiff fight. “They always have a strong team. In 2008, club had hefty boys as tall as six-foot-four who could row tremendously. We had two months of intense training before the event to prepare against a strong MBC,” says Silva. Other than the Madras-Colombo competition, MBC is also conducting an international regatta which will see participants from Britain, Austria, Sri Lanka along with teams from different parts of India.
This event will be from July 19 to 22. Winners of this event get a free membership in Madras Boat Club, which otherwise costs `4-5 lakh.
“This is a great exposure for Lankans as they get to compete against world-class rowers. We don’t focus on monetary benefits,” concludes Silva.
srinidhi@newindianexpress.com