Saudi Indoor Rowing Championship comes to successful close in Jeddah

JEDDAH: The recently completed Saudi indoor rowing championship is a marker of how far the sport has progressed in the Kingdom, according to the head of the Saudi Rowing Federation.

Around 190 male and female athletes competed in the championship, which was held at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Friday, with the 2,000-meter races categorized by age and weight.

“We are excited to see the progress rowing has made in Saudi Arabia,” Ali H. Alireza, chairman of the Saudi Rowing Federation, said.   

“The first time the Saudi Rowing Federation was put on the map was in the Asian Games in Indonesia 2018, where we had just one competitor, who finished in the top 10. “Last year, we participated in the Asian Indoor Championship with four ladies and nine men, which indicates the great progress of the Kingdom in rowing.”

He added: “The federation championship held in Jeddah is now classified as an international event by the International Federation of Rowing,” which means the winners will automatically qualify for the World Championships in Canada next month.

“We’re very happy for the participants who won this competition that they do not have to go through qualifying to participate in the World Championships. That’s the kind of progress we want — to have Saudi Arabia be part of an international rowing scene,” Alireza said.

The federation will provide the athletes with world-class Olympic trainers to give them the best chance of success in future competitions, he added.

During the indoor rowing championship, Bill Barry, an Olympic medalist, was honored for his role in setting up the Saudi Rowing Federation.

Fay Ho Kim Fai, continental representative for Asia at World Rowing said: “The Saudi Rowing Federation have