Cochin Queens Crowned Champions in India's First ASMITA Rowing League

Hyderabad, March 2: Cochin Queens emerged as overall champions in the inaugural edition of the ASMITA Rowing League held in Hyderabad on Saturday. The rowing team from Kerala displayed a stellar performance, securing six gold medals, two silvers, and one bronze, topping the medal tally and leaving hosts Hyderabad Queens in second place.

Eight teams representing various Indian cities battled across 20 competitive events, categorized into Under-19 and Under-23 age groups. Cochin Queens notably dominated the Under-23 category, clinching victories in four out of five events. Meanwhile, Hyderabad Queens excelled in the Under-19 division, capturing the title with wins in three of the five events.

This unique event marked India's first-ever rowing league in which participating teams were named after Indian cities. Teams that took part included Chennai Ranis, Deccan Queen Pune, Bhopal Waves Queen, Cuttack Rowing, Ludhiana Team Rowing, and Kolkata R-Oars.

Cochin Queens Dominate Under-23 Category​

Cochin Queens’ dominance was evident right from the start. In the women's Under-23 single sculls event, Amrita Minj outperformed Cuttack Queens by finishing with a remarkable timing of 4 minutes and 15 seconds over a distance of 1000 meters. Following this success, the Kerala duo of Vijinamol B and Aleena Anto maintained the momentum, winning gold in the coxless pairs event by clocking 4 minutes and 7 seconds, defeating Cuttack Queens.

The Kerala team's quartet comprising Haripriya Vinesh, Amrita Minj, Saniya J Krishnan, and Aswani Kumaran continued their golden streak, securing another gold medal in the quadruple sculls event, finishing in just 3 minutes and 42 seconds to beat Hyderabad Queens.

The highlight of Cochin's success was their triumph in the coxless fours event, where the seasoned duo of Varsha KB and Aswathi PB—both Asian Games participants—combined forces with teammates Vijinamol B and Meenakshy VS. The quartet claimed gold after clocking an impressive timing of 3 minutes and 50 seconds, comfortably defeating Cuttack Queens.

Hyderabad Queens Shine in Under-19 Events​

Although the overall crown went to Cochin Queens, hosts Hyderabad Queens showcased an excellent performance in the Under-19 category. The home team earned victories in single sculls, double sculls, and quadruple sculls. However, Cochin Queens managed to clinch gold in both the coxless pairs and coxless fours events.

Hyderabad’s standout performers included Priya Devi and Tendenthol Devi, who secured gold in the double sculls event by outperforming Bhopal Queens.

Athletes Enthused by New Competitive Platform​

Expressing her excitement over this novel event, Varsha KB, a seasoned athlete who represented India at the Hangzhou Asian Games, remarked, "I had represented Kerala in the Nationals, but this was much different. The team bonding was perfect, making it special for me, especially since I won my event—coxless fours." Varsha further added, "This league fills the void of not having many competitive events in our rowing calendar."

With the successful conclusion of this innovative rowing league, athletes and organizers hope to see more such competitive platforms introduced across the country, fostering growth and interest in Indian rowing.