Making India a rowing hub in Asia, two Bachelor of Arts’ students at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Sawarn Singh and Sukhmeet Singh won silver and bronze medals for India at 19th Asian Rowing Championship held in South Korea. Bringing laurels to the country, both exhibited extraordinary rowing skills and won bronze medal in the Men's Double Sculls event and silver medal in Men's Quadruple Sculls event.With their first victory in this championship for the country, both of the LPU Rowers contributed in making India win the bid to host next ‘Senior Asian Rowing Championship in 2020’, after a gap of fifteen years. It is also emphasizing that including LPU students’ two medals, India finished at prestigious 5th position, with five medals. More than 600 rowers from 21 nations competed at the championship. Based on the assessment of their extraordinary sports skills, both of the winning rowers are presently pursuing Distance Education programme at LPU with 100% scholarship, as per university policy.
Belonging to villages Dalelwala and Kishangarh Pharwahi respectively, at District Mansa in Punjab State, Sawarn Singh and Sukhmeet Singh are already recipients of many honours and awards at national and international levels. Sawarn Singh is even recipient of country’s prestigious sports honour ‘Arjuna Award’ in 2015. Having much appreciation for LPU study environment and sports facilities, both of them are now aspiring to participate in Olympics-2020 and win prestigious medals for the university and the country. Taking great pride in students’ galore, LPU Chancellor Mr Ashok Mittal further invoked them to gain more illustrious victories to bring name and fame to self, parents, institution, state and the nation. During competitions, both Sawarn and Sukhmeet got the better of challenge upon their rivals in thrilling races. Their rowing skills on Tangeum Lake International Rowing Regatta, Chung Ju, South Korea, were much applauded by the onlookers. In fact, LPU rowers offered the nation a Diwali gift by winning first medal during festive days. Within sometime after this momentous medal winning, India won the bid to host the next edition of the Asian Rowing Championship in Bhopal next year. India will be hosting it after a long gap of years, as it last hosted the competition in 2005, in Hyderabad.