Putting Indian Rowing in the spotlight - Rowing Programme of the Year

Spot an Indian athlete on the dais at an international rowing event and it will be the subject of conversation. India is not known as a rowing powerhouse, but in Pune, a rowing programme is doing their best to change that situation. The Army Rowing Node (ARN Rowing club) is the winner of the World Rowing, Rowing Programme of the Year for 2025.

Established in 2001, the ARN began under the College of Military Engineering (CME) as the country’s premier rowing development centre. In India, the army, air force, and navy run all amateur sport and for the ARN, the connection is with the CME, but as an independent club funded by the army.

Antony Patterson is the head coach of the 15 rowing programmes at the ARN. From Australia, Patterson also acts as the foreign expert and uses his contacts to open the ARN to regattas and ideas from around the world. There are 32 coaches, coaching 350 athletes including 24 para athletes. The entire men’s national team are based here.

“I’ve coached in a lot of countries and this situation is unique. There’s no school rowing and very little pathway programmes, it’s all club based,” says Patterson. “I’m trying to push them outside of what they already know.”

The club is a mixture of civilians, living outside of the centre, and those full-time in the army including 15 army nurses.

“A lot come from humble beginnings so they join the army or navy and then try to get selected into rowing. If they are selected they can join our squad. The army is 85 per cent male and we’re working to change the gender make up of the squad (hence the army nurses).

“We want to got out and get people active in rowing. But poverty is a problem. Many people don’t have enough to eat so sport is far from their mind.”

The focus of the ARN and Indian rowing is a four-year cycle around the Asian Games. “It’s incredibly important for them as success means getting money, land, job offers and promotions. That’s their whole motivation.”

Patterson helped secure an invitation for the ARN to the Australian Rowing Championships and he says it was a great success. They left with four gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

“We surprised and shocked a lot of people,” says Patterson. “The potential is here.”

They are now planning to send a squad to the Henley Royal Regatta.

Patterson measures success by growth and the club is growing. “We are retaining athletes and the numbers coming in continue to increase. It’s growing especially on the women’s side.”

The ARN was awarded the Rowing Programme of the Year during a ceremony held at the Olympic Museum recently in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The “Rowing Programme of the Year” award is in its second year. It was launched in 2024 to spotlight and celebrate rowing programmes that set the benchmark for excellence and holistic development in the sport.

By recognising these outstanding programmes, World Rowing aims to inspire a standard of excellence that other universities, clubs, or schools can aspire to, promoting a culture of high achievement, integrity, and continuous improvement in club, school and university rowing.

This World Rowing Award seeks to commend those who elevate the sport, encouraging a competitive and community spirit and a commitment to fostering talent, sportsmanship, and academic achievement within the Rowing community.