LAHORE, May 18: Pakistan would compete in the World rowing championship to be held in Gifu, Japan on Aug 28-Sept 5, said Iftikhar Malik, chairman Pakistan Rowing Federation (PRF) after presiding over an annual general council meeting on Wednesday. He said that the decision about number of players and officials for the world event would be made later after taking an assessment of new talent in the May 20-22 Anti-narcotics National Open championship to be held in Lahore Canal.
“We’ll allow all the clubs of the country to field, men’s, women’s, masters’, adaptive’s and kids’ (teams) in the competition and I expect it will help us pick players for the national team,” he said.
The PRF would, for the first time, use a rowing machine in Lahore’s event. It is a specially designed local made machine which costs Rs100,000, he added.
It is the first time the world championship has come to Asia. The event will be followed by annual ordinary congress meeting of the international body on Sept 5, he said.
Pakistan would also feature in the 11th Asian junior championship to be held in HwaChean, South Korea on July 12-15 and the 11th Asian championship to be staged in Hyderabad, India on Oct 18-23.
The federation will also organize 10 events at domestic level including the Anti-narcotics club championships.
He said that the meeting approved a tentative programme for the year 2006 and made no change in the domestic programme for 2005-06.
The meeting approved the budget estimated at Rs5.536 million for 2005. The Pakistan Sports Board had granted Rs400,000 to the federation and the amount was likely to increase next time, he said adding that the federation had only 12 rowing boats as it could not raise the number due to financial constrains.
Activity calendar for 2005-06:
2005:
International: The 11th Asian Junior rowing championship at HwaChean, South Korea on July 12-15; World championships at Gifu, Japan on Aug 28-Sept 4; Annual ordinary congress meeting on Sept 5; 11th Asian championship, Hyderabad, India on Oct 18-23; 23rd Annual Congress of ARF on Oct 22.
Domestic: Anti-narcotics Open championship for men, women, masters, adaptive and kids at Lahore on May 20-22; Technical officials refresher course at Lahore in June and at Islamabad in July; National umpiring examination and seminar at Lahore in June and at Islamabad in July; 26th National rowing championship for men and women at Islamabad in July; Coaching course at Islamabad on July 23-28; Independence Day celebrations regatta at Islamabad and all provincial headquarters on Aug 14; coaching seminar at Karachi on Dec 22-23; Quaid-i-Azam championship at Karachi on Dec 24-25.
2006:
International: 10th South Asian Games, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 18-26; World championships at Eton, UK on Aug 20-27; 15th Asian Games at Doha, Qatar on Dec 1-16.