Lakshay and Ujjwal script history with India’s first gold at World Rowing Cup

In a historic achievement for Indian rowing, the duo of Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh secured the country’s first-ever gold medal at the World Rowing Cup III, held in Lucerne, Switzerland. The pair triumphed in the Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls event, clocking a time of 6 minutes 26.09 seconds to finish ahead of crews from Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

The victory marks a significant milestone for Indian rowing on the global stage. Kakani Tarun, president of the Andhra Pradesh Rowing and Sculling Association, lauded the athletes for their performance. He noted that the state of Andhra Pradesh has considerable potential in rowing and urged the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to develop the necessary infrastructure to nurture talent.

Lakshay and Ujjwal’s gold adds to India’s growing list of achievements in water sports. The World Rowing Cup is a prestigious annual event that attracts top rowers from across the world. India has previously won medals at the Asian level, but a gold at the World Cup level had remained elusive until this performance.

The win is expected to boost the sport’s profile in India and encourage more investment in training facilities and coaching. The rowing community has called on state and central sports authorities to support athletes with better equipment, coaching, and exposure to international competitions.

Both Lakshay and Ujjwal have credited their coaches and support staff for their success. They also expressed hope that their achievement would inspire young rowers in India to take up the sport and aim for the Olympics in the future.