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| Sunday, 3 July 2005 |
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Colombo fancied to win overall title again over Madras by Leslie Fernando The Colombo Rowing Club, the holders of the Deepam Challenge Trophy for the year 2003 and 2004, is strongly favoured to retain the title for third successive year over arch rivals Madras Boat Club at the 68th edition of the Madras - Colombo Regatta to be held on July 8th and 9th (Saturday and Sunday) on the beira water. The Colombo oarsmen and oarswomen proved their class last year beating Madras in the 67th edition of the Madras - Colombo Regatta held on June 28 and 29 on the Adyar River, Chennai. Chanaka Wickremasooriya, the captain of boats club and CRC coach told the Sunday Observer that the 44 member rowing pool (21 men and 23 women) is training hard in preparation of this prestigious regatta - the second oldest boat race in the world (the famous Oxford - Cambridge regatta being the oldest). The oarsmen and oarswomen will compete in ten events. The men will participate in the 'A' and 'B' sculls, 'A' and 'B' pairs, 'A' and 'B' fours and veterans fours. Meanwhile the women will row in sculls pairs and fours. Wickremasooriya added that the Colombo rowing teams will be selected today (Sunday). Madras Boat Club crew will arrive on July 5, the squad comprises 10 oarsmen, 5 oarswomen, 4 veterans rowers and 2 officials. The heats will be worked off on July 8 and all finals will be on Saturday July 9. Last year in Chennai, Men's 'A' pair - Diluk Aluwihare and Usman Faterally beat the Madras Boat Club Pair - B. Dusyanth and Vishwakaithik (time: 2.42 secs). Dejan Soysa and Devaka Seneviratne won the 'B' Pair defeating Rohith Ravindra and Tushar Bansal (time: 2.51 secs). Asiri Abhayartne, Usman Fatherally, Prajith Perera, Devaka Aluwihare and Mehran Careem won the 'B' fours beating Rohit Ravindra, S. Abilash, Romith Rao, Neville Bilimoria, Kiran Kurian (time: 2.38 secs). Minoli and Mithila Goonewardena won the women's pair beating Gowri Adappa and Shewtha Ravi (time: 3.25 secs). Madras Boat Club, however, won the 'B' Sculls, 'A' Sculls, women Sculls, women fours, Challenge fours and veterans fours. In the main event of the Regatta, - the challenge fours - The Boat Race was keenly contested by Colombo and Madras. But Madras BC crew won it by a thin margin (time: 2.34 secs). Madras BC crew was made up of B. Dushanth, Viswakarthik, C.E. Palaniappan, Tushar Bansal, Sharan Kapoor, while Colombo Rowing Club was represented by Diluk Aluwihare, Dejan Soysa, Devaka Seneviratne, Udesh Hettiarachchi, Sharen Kannangara. |
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