KARACHI - ASRA Regatta 2012 - the 4th Annual Regatta of the ‘Association of School Rowing in Asia’ organised by Karachi Boat Club is being held in September 2012. ASRA Regatta 2012 promises to be a thrilling event with intense competition and lots of hard work being put in by the rowers and their coaches, says a press release.The event will showcase best rowers from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Around 200 students, boys and girls, from 20 schools will participate in the event, conducted by the Association of School Rowing in Asia (ASRA). The students will compete for single sculls, double sculls, coxed fours and quadruple scull.The inaugural ASRA Regatta was held at the Bolgoda Lake Rowing Club, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 2009; the 2nd and 3rd Regattas were held at ‘The Rowing Centre’ Koovathur,  Chennai, respectively in July 2010 & 2011. The purpose for ASRA ‘the Hope’ has been to integrate the world rowing fraternity, to assess and improve the quality and standard of rowing, propagating the Golden Sports in Asia from the grass root level.At the opening ceremony, Jamshed Qureshi, President, Karachi Boat Club (KBC), lauded the efforts of ASRA in the development of rowing. He also appreciated KBC’s role in the promotion of rowing in Pakistan, saying “The Karachi Boat Club has created a niche for itself in the sport of rowing and it is swiftly building up its strength from humble beginnings to producing rowers who are competing at national and international levels winning laurels for the Club.