“Every Stroke Feels Like Music”: Poonam Finds Her Rhythm Ahead of Asian Games 2026

For Poonam, rowing was never supposed to become a career. It began as an opportunity a chance to pursue graduation through a sports scholarship after her experience in athletics had exposed her to the limitations of sporting facilities in her district.

Years later, that decision has taken her to the national camp, international competitions and now the Asian Games 2026, where she will represent India in the Women’s Coxless Four. Her journey from taking up rowing for an educational opportunity to competing at one of Asia’s biggest sporting events has been shaped by gradual progress, bigger ambitions and, importantly, the high-performance environment at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS).

Poonam had already competed in athletics before rowing entered her life. Looking for an opportunity to continue her education while pursuing sport, she learned about the possibilities rowing could provide in Chandigarh. At the time, her ambitions were modest.

“I started rowing because I got the opportunity to get admission for my graduation through sport. 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,” she said.

Her early targets reflected that mindset. She wanted to win at the inter-college and university levels before gradually setting her sights higher.

Those goals changed as she began collecting results.

“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. We have won gold medals at the Nationals, Senior Nationals and National Games, and now I am at the Asian Games,” Poonam said.

The progression has been steady, taking her from domestic competitions to the national camp and eventually to the international stage.

The last year at IIS has been particularly important in Poonam’s development as an athlete. Rowing requires more than hours on the water. Physical conditioning, nutrition, recovery, sports science and mental preparation can all influence performance, particularly when athletes are competing against experienced international crews.

Poonam says the support structure at IIS has helped her become more confident in her abilities.

“There have been a lot of changes after coming to Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS). I have been part of their rowing programme for the past one year. We get a lot of support here, and the staff takes care of our nutrition, physiology and psychology. Because of this environment, we feel more confident and feel that we can do much more,” she said.

That confidence will now be tested at the Asian Games, where the margins between crews can be extremely small.

Poonam and her teammates have spent the past year training consistently at the national camp, giving the crew an opportunity to develop familiarity and rhythm. She believes that continuity has made a significant difference.

“I am feeling very good about going to the Asian Games. We had been working towards getting into the camp for the last few years, and we have been able to stay together and train consistently since last year. That has helped us improve a lot and has given me a lot of confidence,” she said.

A training stint in Europe provided another important learning experience.

Competing against some of the leading rowing nations gave the Indian crew a chance to understand the demands of racing at that level. More importantly, it changed their perception of the gap between Indian rowers and their European counterparts. “Our Europe trip was very good because we learnt how to handle pressure and control our nervousness during 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,” Poonam said.

That belief could be valuable when the Indian crew lines up in Kakamigahara.

In rowing, synchronisation is fundamental. A crew can have individually strong athletes, but their performance ultimately depends on how effectively they move as one unit. For Poonam, spending extended periods with her teammates has helped develop that understanding.

“We have spent a lot of time training together, and that has helped us understand each other better. In rowing, everyone has to move together and maintain the same rhythm. The more time we spend together, the more confident we become as a crew.”

It is that rhythm that has also shaped Poonam’s relationship with the sport. What initially began as a pathway to education has become something she genuinely enjoys.

“Every stroke feels like music,” she said, describing how the catch, finish and movement of the boat combine to create a rhythm that keeps her immersed in training. Even long sessions do not necessarily feel monotonous.

“Sometimes we keep rowing for one or two hours and don't even realise how much time has passed,” she added.

The Asian Games represent the biggest stage yet in Poonam’s journey, but they are not necessarily the destination. The experience of international competition has expanded her ambitions, with Olympic qualification and future international success now part of the larger picture. At the Asian Games, Poonam will compete in the Women’s Coxless Four alongside fellow IIS-supported rowers Tendenthoi Devi, Aleena Anto and Gurbani Kaur.

Their challenge will require precision, endurance and complete synchronisation. For Poonam, however, the journey to this point is already a reminder of how an unexpected opportunity can evolve into a sporting career.

From taking up rowing to secure a path through graduation to earning a place at the Asian Games, her story has been built one stroke at a time.

Now, in Kakamigahara, those strokes will carry a much bigger meaning — and Poonam will look to find the rhythm that can take her and her crew towards a memorable Asian Games performance.