India set a historic milestone at the 2026 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland, as Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh clinched the country’s first-ever gold at the prestigious international event.
The Indian duo won the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls title on Saturday, clocking 6:26.09 to finish ahead of Hong Kong (6:27.14) and the Netherlands (6:27.36) in a tight, contested final.
The triumph marks India’s maiden gold medal at any World Rowing Cup, one of the sport’s premier international competitions and a key preparatory event for the World Rowing Championships.
Gold medallists Havildar Lakshay and Havildar Ujjwal Kumar Singh serve in the Indian Army. The entire 18-member Indian contingent competing in Lucerne comprises personnel from the armed forces, including 17 athletes from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Navy.
Describing the achievement as historic, Colonel Ramakrishnan, Commanding Officer of the Army Rowing Node, added that the victory reflected years of disciplined training and the growing international standard of Indian rowing.
The three-day regatta is being held at the Rotsee in Lucerne, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest rowing venues owing to its calm waters and Olympic-standard 2,000-metre, six-lane course.
The World Rowing Cup, held from June 26 to 28, features Olympic and para-rowing events and contributes ranking points towards the World Rowing Cup standings, making India’s breakthrough gold a landmark moment for the country’s rowing programme.
