National, 18 September 2026: Rower Poonam will make her Asian Games debut in the women’s coxless four at Aichi-Nagoya, in a crew with Tendenthoi Devi, Aleena Anto and Gurbani Kaur. All four rowers are supported by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS).
Poonam took up rowing because a sports scholarship gave her admission for her graduation. She had competed in athletics before, and was looking beyond the limited sporting facilities in her district when she heard about rowing opportunities in Chandigarh.
‘I started rowing because I got the opportunity to get admission for my graduation through sport,’ she said. ‘At that time, I never thought that rowing would become my career. I just wanted to make use of the opportunity and see where it could take me.’
From university medals to the national camp
The early days were not easy. Coaching was limited and she had to settle into a new environment, so her first targets were small: a medal at the university and national level.
‘Initially, my dream was to win a gold medal at the inter-college and university level. Then I wanted to win a medal at the Senior Nationals. Slowly, my goals started getting bigger,’ Poonam said. ‘We have won gold medals at the Nationals, Senior Nationals and National Games, and now I am at the Asian Games.’
She has been part of the IIS rowing programme for the past year. She said the staff look after nutrition, physiology and psychology as well as training.
‘There have been a lot of changes after coming to Inspire Institute of Sport. We get a lot of support here, and the staff takes care of our nutrition, physiology and psychology,’ she said. ‘Because of this environment, we feel more confident and feel that we can do much more.’
Europe trip and a crew that trains together
The crew spent time training in Europe, where they raced some of the continent’s leading rowing teams. Poonam said the trip taught them how to handle pressure and control nerves in a race.
‘Earlier, when we saw the European teams, we used to think about when we would be able to beat them. But after competing with them, we realised that we are not very far behind. We can compete with them,’ she said.
The crew has trained together consistently since last year, after working for several years to get into the camp. ‘In rowing, everyone has to move together and maintain the same rhythm,’ Poonam said. ‘The more time we spend together, the more confident we become as a crew.’
‘We don’t get bored’
Poonam now rows for enjoyment as well as opportunity. She describes the rhythm of the boat as a kind of music.
‘Every stroke feels like music. The catch is different, the finish is different and the movement of the boat is different. We don’t get bored because we are so involved in it,’ she said. ‘Sometimes we keep rowing for one or two hours and don’t even realise how much time has passed.’
International experience has raised her ambitions, and Olympic qualification is now part of her thinking. At Aichi-Nagoya, where the Games run from 19 September to 4 October, the four-woman crew hopes to win India a medal in the women’s coxless four.
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