Kolkata, Mar 16 (IANS): About 300 men and women rowers from different Indian states, Australia and Thailand will be in action in the 80th Amateur Rowing Association of the East (ARAE) and Far East Amateur Rowing Association (FEARA) Championship to be held at the Lake Club's course in Rabindra Sarovar here from March 18 to 23.

Competitions will be open to men, and women and in mixed team categories for senior (open), sub-junior (below 15 years), masters (above 36 years), super masters (above 50 years) and grand masters (above 60 years), Debabrata Dutta, Jt. Secretary, Lake Club informed on Saturday.

Dutta said the week-long tournament will be inaugurated on March 18 by the Vice-President of the Asian Rowing Federation, Rear Admiral P Pochanasomburana of Thailand. The finals will be held on March 23.

The event would also include Indoor Rowing Events which would be held on the inaugural day. West Bengal Rowing Association President Raja Dasgupta said. He said the events of the meet would include single scull, double scull, pairs and fours.

Regatta Secretary of the meet Somnath Dey intimated that besides Mercantile Rowing Club from Melbourne, Australia and Rowing Club of Pattaya, Thailand other participating teams here include College of Engineering, Pune, Maharashtra, Madras Boat Club, Chennai and Calcutta Rowing Club, Bengal Rowing Club and hosts Lake Club.

Commenting on the participants, Lake Club Captain of Boats Sudip Naha said that noted oarspersons including Siddharta Sunil of Chennai, Pratik Gupta and Sweta Brahmachari of West Bengal will be vying for top honours in the event.