Asian Games: First batch of Indian athletes leaves for Hangzhou

New Delhi: The Indian rowing, boxing and sailing teams, that would be part of the upcoming contingent for the Asian Games, left for Hangzhou, becoming part of the first batch of Indian contingent to leave for China.

The rowing team left late on Wednesday night while the boxers and sailors departed a day earlier.

The rowing team comprises 43 members (20 men and 13 women) including Asian Games medallists as part of the 10-member coaching staff, showing how medal-winning former rowers are contributing back to their sport.

With 13 women rowers as part of the squad, this is the largest number of women rowers travelling to the Asian Games. It is important to note that this is the first time that the Women’s 8s event has been included in the Asian Games, and India is fielding a team for the event.

As yet another first, they would be training in a government-funded -- to the tune of Rs 1 crore -- International Training Camp in Hangzhou for a week before heading to Asian Games village on September 16, allowing them to acclimatise well before their competition begins.

The contingent was given a rousing send-off by the officials of Sports Authority of India (SAI) Mumbai ahead of their departure for China.

On Tuesday, the Indian sailors and the first batch of boxers also left for China, to train ahead of the multisport event.

While Indian boxers are training in Wuyishan City, Indian sailors are training in Ningbo Xiangshan Sailing Centre, which is also where the Asian Games Sailing competitions will be held.