Overview
- Origin
- Paralympic debut, Beijing 2008
- Category
- Para
- Olympic discipline
- No
- Paralympic discipline
- Yes
- Central pathway
- TOPS eligible
- Athlete profiles on SportSupport
- 0
Governance and status
Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.
- Indian governing/organising body
- Paralympic Committee of India
- Ministry recognition
- Paralympic Committee of India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
- International federation
- Not currently verified
- Khelo India inclusion
- Not currently verified
- TOPS eligibility
- In scope — TOPS covers Paralympic medal prospects
- Olympic status
- Not on the Olympic programme
- Paralympic status
- On the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme (Para Rowing)Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports (2024)
Para Rowing is listed on SportSupport in the para category. Its recorded origin is Paralympic debut, Beijing 2008. Para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Para Rowing was on the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme. (Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports: https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/sports) We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.
Para Rowing is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through Paralympic Committee of India against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell.
Scholarships & Funding
Central, state and private scholarships available for para rowing athletes in India.
- Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
- Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether para rowing is among the covered disciplines.
- National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to para rowing.
- Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria — Government of India.
Indian Players
No profiles yetNo athlete profiles are recorded for para rowing yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.
Browse the full athlete directory →Rules
Raced over 2,000 metres in three classes. PR1 is for athletes who use predominantly arms and shoulders, PR2 for those who use trunk and arms, and PR3 for athletes with use of legs, trunk and arms. PR1 and PR2 boats use fixed seats with strapping for support; PR3 boats use sliding seats. The PR3 mixed double sculls and mixed coxed four require equal numbers of men and women, and PR3 crews may include athletes with visual impairment.
Authoritative rulebook: Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.
Positions
Typical roles across para sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced para rowing squad list.
- CompetitorAthlete who takes part in the para rowing event under Paralympic Committee of India rules.
- CoachFederation-certified coach responsible for training and match-day decisions.
- Match officialReferee, umpire or judge who officiates the event.
Equipment
Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in para rowing at a federation-recognised event.
- Single or double scull, or coxed four, to World Rowing specification
- Fixed seat with strapping and back support for PR1 and PR2
- Sliding seat for PR3
- Pontoons for boat stability where required
Governing/organising body
Paralympic Committee of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Rowing. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.
- Origin
- Paralympic debut, Beijing 2008
- Olympic
- No
- Paralympic
- Yes
- Category
- Para
Major Indian Events
Domestic competitions we hold a source for in para rowing.
- National Para Rowing Championships
Run under the Paralympic Committee of India with Rowing Federation of India support, contested in the PR1, PR2 and PR3 classes.
International Events
Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in para rowing.
- Paralympic Games
India made its para rowing debut at Paris 2024, with Anita and K. Narayana competing in the PR3 mixed double sculls. It was one of three sports the country entered for the first time at those Games. India has not yet won a Paralympic medal in the discipline.
- World Rowing Para Championships and Asian Para Games
The qualification pathway for Indian para rowers, run alongside the able-bodied World Rowing calendar.
Leagues
No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for para rowing. The national championship under Paralympic Committee of India remains the top domestic competition.
All leagues →International Players
Globally recognised para rowing athletes to know outside India.
The international federation for para rowing maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.
Career Options
Ways to build a career in para rowing — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.
- Para rowing is new to India at Paralympic level and the talent pool is very small, which makes national selection unusually accessible for a Paralympic sport
- The Army Rowing Node in Pune and Rowing Federation of India water infrastructure are the natural training bases, shared with the able-bodied programme
- Adaptive equipment — fixed seats, strapping, pontoons — is the main additional cost over standard rowing, and remains scarce outside national centres
- Pathway runs through PCI and RFI structures into World Rowing para events, with TOPS support for the elite squad
Related academies
1 listed- SAI Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Centre of Excellence, MumbaiNationalMumbai, Maharashtra
SAI's Mumbai centre at Kandivali — both a National Centre of Excellence and the regional centre for Maharashtra, Goa, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
FAQs
Common questions about para rowing in India.
Who governs Para Rowing in India?▾
We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Rowing, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.
Is Para Rowing an Olympic sport?▾
No. Para Rowing is a para discipline, and para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Athletes selected by Paralympic Committee of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding, which covers Paralympic medal prospects.
How do I start playing Para Rowing in India?▾
The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.
What government schemes support Para Rowing athletes?▾
TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Para Rowing is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Para Rowing does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.
Para Rowing in every state & UT
Dedicated pages for Para Rowing in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.
- Para Rowing in Andhra Pradesh
- Para Rowing in Arunachal Pradesh
- Para Rowing in Assam
- Para Rowing in Bihar
- Para Rowing in Chhattisgarh
- Para Rowing in Goa
- Para Rowing in Gujarat
- Para Rowing in Haryana
- Para Rowing in Himachal Pradesh
- Para Rowing in Jharkhand
- Para Rowing in Karnataka
- Para Rowing in Kerala
- Para Rowing in Madhya Pradesh
- Para Rowing in Maharashtra
- Para Rowing in Manipur
- Para Rowing in Meghalaya
- Para Rowing in Mizoram
- Para Rowing in Nagaland
- Para Rowing in Odisha
- Para Rowing in Punjab
- Para Rowing in Rajasthan
- Para Rowing in Sikkim
- Para Rowing in Tamil Nadu
- Para Rowing in Telangana
- Para Rowing in Tripura
- Para Rowing in Uttar Pradesh
- Para Rowing in Uttarakhand
- Para Rowing in West Bengal
- Para Rowing in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Para Rowing in Chandigarh
- Para Rowing in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Para Rowing in Delhi
- Para Rowing in Jammu & Kashmir
- Para Rowing in Ladakh
- Para Rowing in Lakshadweep
- Para Rowing in Puducherry