Gorakhpur’s Ramgarh Taal To Be Established As National Rowing Camp

The Uttar Pradesh government will soon establish Ramgarh Taal in Gorakhpur as a major venue for organising rowing national competitions in the state. The district, which is the constituency of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will receive a major boost with this move. 

The decision has been announced after the success of the rowing competition held under the Khelo India University Games (KIUG). According to official information, rowing players from all over the country will also receive training at the training academy to be set up at Ramgarh Taal to hone their talents and skills in order to perform better at the national and international competitions. 

As many as  20 boats of different categories, according to the requirements of competitions, are being imported from Germany for the training of rowing players in Ramgarh Taal.

It is worth mentioning here that the State Sports Department organised the rowing competition at Ramgarh Taal as part of KIUG under the guidance of the Chief Minister recently. 

The UP government has built a world-class Water Sports Complex near the lake (taal) at a cost of Rs 45 crore with the aim of hosting national and international water sports competitions here and promoting the participation of local youth in this direction.

The rowing competition of the KIUG, held from 27 to 31 May, has established the utility of Ramgarh Taal for water sports. Athletes from various universities across the country, their coaches, and officials from the Rowing Federation of India were very impressed by the venue for water sports and even wondered why it did not attract notice despite being crucial for the entire North India.  

The top officials of the Rowing Federation of India have expressed their desire to establish a national camp and training academy for rowing at Ramgarh Taal. Taking note of this, the state government has also taken steps towards establishing a national camp. 

Additional Chief Secretary, Sports and Youth Welfare, Dr. Navneet Sehgal, stated that in collaboration with the federation, a national camp for rowing will be organised at the Ramgarh Taal Water Sports Complex for which the preparations have already begun.

According to Regional Sports Officer Ali Haider, a rowing nursery will be set up in Gorakhpur. A coach has been appointed for rowing training, and the registration of youths is underway. Currently, 10 youths have enrolled in the training program so far. They are being provided swimming and physical training to make them mentally and physically strong.

Additionally, an order has been issued to import 20 boats costing between Rs 10 to 20 lakh from Germany. In accordance with the government's vision and international competitions, boats for every category of rowing competition are being procured. The boats will start arriving after July 15, and proper practical training for the registered youth in rowing will begin.