A New Course for Indian Women Rowing: IIS-RFI Partnership Aims to Spark Asian Games Breakthrough
Rowing is a sport that demands power, precision, and persistence. Yet in India—a nation of rivers, backwaters, and lakes—women’s rowing has never quite found its rhythm on the international stage. That could be about to change. In a landmark development, the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) has partnered with the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) to chart a new course for Indian women rowers, with the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya firmly in sight.
Announced on May 26, 2025, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two institutions marks the first structured, private-backed initiative focused exclusively on the development of India’s women rowing talent. It brings together the scientific rigour of IIS, India’s premier high-performance training center, and the national governing body’s technical oversight to address a long-standing gap in the sport.
A Crucial First Step
The program kicked off with the testing of 20 female rowers at the IIS campus in Bellary, Karnataka. Following a series of physical and technical assessments, 14 athletes were selected for long-term training under Australian coach Angus Seller. The group now forms the nucleus of India’s preparation for the 2026 Asian Games. Over the next year, they will receive scientific training, nutrition planning, strength and conditioning support, mental skills coaching, and exposure to international benchmarks in rowing.
“This partnership is a pivotal moment,” said Rajlaxmi Singh Deo, President of RFI. “Unlike the men’s team, the women’s program has lacked consistent support, both in terms of coaching and competition. With IIS on board, we can now offer our women athletes the same structured development pathway.”
Science Meets Rowing
The Inspire Institute of Sport, set up by the JSW Group in 2018, has quickly built a reputation as a breeding ground for Olympic talent. Located in Vijayanagar, the 42-acre campus houses elite athletes across sports like athletics, boxing, wrestling, and judo. The facility includes state-of-the-art gyms, sports science labs, recovery suites, and residential accommodations. It also offers full scholarships to promising athletes from across the country.
Rowing, which has traditionally been managed through army regiments and central sports training centers, now benefits from this advanced ecosystem.
“We see great potential in these women,” said Manisha Malhotra, head of sports excellence at IIS. “What they need is access to high-performance resources—something they’ve been denied for too long. Our goal is not just to train them, but to instill a winning mindset and prepare them for the demands of elite competition.”
Coach Angus Seller, who has previously worked with Australia’s national rowing system, emphasized physical conditioning as a critical area. “They’re naturally gifted rowers, but the difference at the international level is strength, endurance, and technical consistency. With time and the right load, I believe they can compete with the best in Asia.”
Historical Gaps in Indian Women’s Rowing
India’s engagement with rowing began during the British era, with clubs like the Calcutta Rowing Club (established in 1858) laying the foundations. The sport has since grown, and the Rowing Federation of India (RFI), founded in 1976, oversees its development. However, women have historically remained on the periphery.
The disparity is stark. While men have led India’s rowing narrative—most notably with Bajrang Lal Takhar’s gold in the single sculls at the 2010 Asian Games—women have only one Asian Games medal to their name. That came in the same year, when Pratima Puhan and Pramila Prava Minz won bronze in the coxless pair event.
At the 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2023 Asian Games, Indian women rowers participated but failed to reach the podium. They have never qualified for the Olympics, unlike the men who have represented India in the lightweight double sculls across multiple editions, including a credible 11th place finish in Tokyo 2020. The World Rowing Championships and Commonwealth Games have also yielded no medals for Indian women.
A lack of structured pathways, limited international exposure, under-equipped training centers, and inadequate coaching support have all contributed to this stagnation. Until now, women’s rowing in India has functioned more on passion than planning.
Closing the Gap
In 2018, coach Nicolae Gioga, who led India’s rowing squad, highlighted the lack of physical preparedness among Indian women rowers. Six years later, his words still ring true. Rowing is one of the most physically demanding Olympic sports. It requires cardiovascular endurance, upper and lower body power, flexibility, and mental toughness. Training must also be tailored to account for women’s specific health needs, including bone density, hormonal cycles, and injury prevention.
While many male rowers train under the aegis of the Services or state associations, women rowers have had far fewer opportunities. Facilities like IIS, with their emphasis on athlete-specific programming, offer a critical intervention.
“This isn’t just about the Asian Games,” said Seller. “It’s about building a base. With the right foundation, we can aim not just for podiums, but for Olympic qualification by 2028.”
The current batch of 14 rowers training at IIS is just the beginning. The broader objective is to establish a pipeline that identifies, trains, and retains young talent from across India. The program also plans to send athletes for exposure tours to Europe and Asia, where they can race against stronger fields and gain experience in different water conditions.
“Initiatives like this give us hope,” said Sanjana, a 20-year-old rower from Kerala selected for the program. “We’ve always worked hard, but never had the kind of support that’s needed to really improve. Now we feel like we have a chance.”
There is also a long-term plan to open satellite training centers in rowing hubs like Kerala, Pune, and Hyderabad, to decentralize access. The RFI is exploring partnerships with regional sports authorities to ensure continuity after the Asian Games.
An Inflection Point for Indian Rowing
The IIS-RFI partnership comes at a time when Indian sports is undergoing rapid professionalization. With increased attention on Olympic disciplines, federations are being held to higher standards of performance and planning. The government’s Khelo India and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) programs have made funding more accessible—but partnerships with private institutions like IIS bring technical depth and operational agility.
Rowing still faces an uphill battle in terms of visibility, commercial support, and media coverage. Yet, the seeds being sown today could bear fruit in the next Olympic cycle.
“In many ways, we’re starting from scratch,” said Rajlaxmi Singh Deo. “But we’re doing it the right way. If we want our girls to succeed internationally, we have to give them international-level preparation.”
Beyond Performance: Toward Equity
Beyond medals and rankings, the partnership also represents a step toward gender equity in Indian sport. It acknowledges that women’s rowing deserves the same attention and investment as the men’s program. By centering the training around science, athlete health, and long-term development, it also sets a new benchmark for how women’s sports can be supported in India.
“Women rowers in India have always had the will,” said Malhotra. “Now they have a way.”
As India looks ahead to the 2026 Asian Games and beyond, the 14 women at IIS are not just athletes in training—they are symbols of what’s possible when opportunity meets preparation. Their journey may have started late, but with the wind now finally at their backs, Indian women’s rowing may be ready to make waves.
All the quotes were given to Inspire Institute of Sports, we have taken inspiration from the same and mentioned in the article.
