What: The Bengal Rowing Club presents 15th BRC Students' Rowing Championship partnered by The Telegraph Young Metro and The Telegraph

Where: Bengal Rowing Club

When: May 8-May 15

Twenty-nine schools. 224 participants. One goal: take the trophy home. Young rowers are braving the heat to practise hard for the tournament and give it their best shot.

It is Vanshika Tantia's second year at the regatta. "We have been practising for the past one month and we are all set to defend the winning title," said the Class XII student of GD Birla Centre for Education and captain of her team. Though the practice sessions are held early in the morning, the scorching sun this time has been unbearable. "We try to protect ourselves from the heat by wearing caps and changing our T-shirts twice," Vanshika said.

The participating schools include St. Xavier's Collegiate School, La Martiniere for Boys, La Martiniere for Girls, Sushila Birla Girls' School, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, GD Birla Centre for Education, Ashok Hall Girls' Higher Secondary School, Future Hope, Frank Anthony, MP Birla Foundation HS School, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Modern High School for Girls and South Point.

The host club, too, is all set to welcome the students. "BRC has created a niche in all aspects of rowing, be it training the rowers with its latest fleet of international standard boats and equipment or providing a platform for students to excel in the sport. This year we have 17 teams in the junior category Coxed Fours, which is encouraging for the sport," said Rajesh Agarwal, convener and regatta secretary at BRC.

An added attraction at the opening ceremony will be a debate, in association with Calcutta Debating Circle, on whether serious sport can be a part of academics, where teachers will be pitted against students. The keynote speaker for the motion will be Father Felix Raj and against the motion Boria Majumdar.