Gateway Expands Fleet to Further Strengthen Its Rowing Programme

Gateway Rowing marked a historic milestone with the acquisition of two state-of-the-art Falcon Racing boats: a quad-four convertible, Dreadnought, and a single scull, Gladiator. This investment represents a first for any school or institution in Sri Lanka.

Manufactured by Falcon Racing, an internationally recognised brand with a direct partnership with the Asian Rowing Federation and the official supplier for the Asian Rowing Championships, these boats bring world-class technology and performance standards to school rowing in Sri Lanka.

Rowing was introduced at Gateway College as a competitive school sport in 2012, adding to an already rich sporting programme spanning over 12 disciplines. Although relatively new at the time, rowing immediately attracted strong interest from both boys and girls across age groups. Recognising this enthusiasm and long-term potential, the school made a bold and forward-looking commitment to the sport.

In 2013, Gateway College officially launched its first fleet of rowing boats at the Colombo Rowing Club, marking the beginning of a journey filled with promise. The inaugural fleet included two fours convertible to quadruple sculls, two pairs convertible to double sculls, two single sculls, two Concept2 ergometer machines, 14 sweep oars and 12 sculls from CROKER (Australia)—the brand that dominated medal tallies at the London Olympics—as well as a coaching and umpiring launch, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Sri Lanka at the time. Each boat was given a name inspired by legendary vessels of history—Victory, Invincible, Challenger, Endeavour, Yamato, and Mayflower—symbolising strength, resilience, and ambition. Over the years, the fleet expanded further with the addition of two WinTech boats: a single scull and a convertible double-pair.

Gateway rowers train in classical rowing at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre, Sri Lanka’s only artificial 2-kilometre rowing course and the official venue for all National Indoor and Classical Rowing Championships conducted under the Sri Lanka Rowing Federation. Training alongside elite national athletes has enabled Gateway rowers to develop technical excellence and competitive resilience from an early age.

From 2020 onwards, Gateway athletes have featured consistently on national podiums across multiple age categories. At the 2025 National Rowing Championships, Gateway delivered one of its finest performances to date, securing multiple gold medals across school, junior, and mixed events, highlighted by the prestigious Best Junior Girls Sculler Award.

Gateway’s impact extends well beyond podium finishes. Over the past three years, four Gateway athletes have represented Sri Lanka internationally; three were selected to the Junior National Pool; one joined the Junior Development Pool; four additional athletes were named to the Talent Development Pool; and one qualified for the Asian Junior Rowing Championships 2024 in China.

These achievements reflect not only individual talent, but also the quality of coaching, facilities, and institutional support underpinning the programme. Through sustained investment, visionary leadership, and unwavering belief in its athletes, Gateway College continues to play a decisive role in accelerating the growth of rowing in Sri Lanka—particularly at school level.

With a world-class fleet, cutting-edge equipment, national and international representation, and a steadily growing medal tally, the future of Gateway Rowing has never looked stronger. As the oars dip into the water and the boats surge forward, one thing is certain: Gateway Rowing is not merely keeping pace—it is leading the way.

Related News

img

Gateway Expands Fleet to Further Strengthen Its Rowing Programme

Gateway Rowing marked a historic milestone with the acquisition of two state-of-the-art Falcon Racing boats: a quad-four convertible, Dreadnought, and a single…

Read More
img

CISD Launches to Transform Sales Education and Build Sri Lanka’s Next Generation of Sales Professionals

Sri Lanka has long produced talented, resilient, and hardworking sales professionals across every major industry. Yet for decades, the sales function—despite being…

Read More
img

Read • Watch • Learn

Stories often teach us more than textbooks ever could. This EduWire series explores books, films and series as spaces of learning –…

Read More
img

The future of higher education tech: why industry needs purpose-built solutions

For years, Institutions and education agencies have been forced to rely on a patchwork of horizontal SaaS solutions – general tools that…

Read More
img

Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for 2026 (Teacher Training Students)

Sri Lankan teachers are invited to apply for the Japanese government-funded MEXT scholarship for 2026, which will enable selected candidates to undertake…

Read More

Courses