Sports★ Must Know

Army Rowers Lakshay and Ujjwal Win India's First-Ever World Rowing Cup Gold at Lucerne

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Monday, 29 June 2026 2 min readSource: ANIArticle 1 of 9

In a historic first for Indian rowing, Havildar Lakshay and Havildar Ujjwal Kumar Singh — serving soldiers of the Indian Army's Army Rowing Node — won India's first-ever gold medal at a World Rowing Cup. The duo won the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (LM2x) final at World Rowing Cup III on the Rotsee course in Lucerne, Switzerland, clocking 6:26.09 to edge out Hong Kong (6:27.14) and the Netherlands (6:27.36) in a close finish. India had never previously won a gold in the World Rowing Cup series, making the result a landmark for the sport in the country. The Indian Army hailed the achievement, and it is expected to inspire greater investment and interest in competitive rowing.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
Havildar Lakshay and Havildar Ujjwal Kumar Singh won India's first-ever World Rowing Cup gold.
2
They won the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (LM2x) at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.
3
Their winning time was 6:26.09, ahead of Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
4
Both rowers are serving soldiers representing the Army Rowing Node of the Indian Army.
5
It is India's first-ever gold in the World Rowing Cup series.
6
The race was held on the Rotsee course in Lucerne.

Deep Dive

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The Army Rowing Node, based in Pune, has been the primary nursery for India's competitive rowers.
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Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (LM2x) is a two-rower category with a crew weight limit, distinct from open-weight events.
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The World Rowing Cup is an annual multi-leg series organised by World Rowing (FISA), the sport's global governing body.

Exam Focus

Who won India's first-ever gold medal at a World Rowing Cup, and in which event/venue?

Exam Relevance & Angle

'First-ever' Indian achievements in a sport are prime Sports GA material. Examiners ask the athletes (Lakshay & Ujjwal Kumar Singh), the event (Lightweight Men's Double Sculls), the series (World Rowing Cup) and the venue (Lucerne) — all clean, testable hooks, and the Army Rowing Node link adds a defence angle.

Target Exams

SBI POSBI ClerkIBPS POIBPS ClerkIBPS RRB OfficerIBPS RRB AssistantRBI Grade BRBI AssistantNABARD Grade ASSC CGLSSC CHSLSSC CPOSSC GDRRB NTPCLIC AAONIACL AOUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Rowing is a watersport in which athletes propel a boat using oars; sculling events use two oars per rower, and the 'lightweight' category imposes a crew weight limit. The World Rowing Cup is an annual three-leg international series run by World Rowing (formerly FISA), the global federation, and is a key circuit ahead of the World Championships and Olympics. In India, competitive rowing has been nurtured largely by the Army Rowing Node (ARN) in Pune, established to develop rowers for national and international events. Indian rowers have previously medalled at the Asian Games and continental events, but a World Rowing Cup gold had eluded the country until now.