Rower Mamata ties knot with Alok

Orissa’s international woman rower Mamata Jena tied the nuptial knot with fellow rower Alok Rout here today. The wedding ceremony took place at Nua Sahi, Jagatpur, the paternal village of the bride. Members of state rowing fraternity, friends and well-wishers greeted the couple amidst enthusiasm and happyness. A product of Sports Authority of India’s Water Sports Center at Jagatpur, Mamata said despite marriage she would continue her association with competitive rowing.

‘‘Marrying a fellow rower is an advantage as we can help each other work better and achieve greater success,’’ said a cheerful Mamata, who has bagged over 40 national and international medals, including 25 golds in her eight-year-long career so far. Her best achievement came when she claimed a bronze in the 2005 Asian Rowing Championship at Hyderabad.

Now a member of the Chandigarh-based CRPF central rowing team, Mamata also represented the country in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where she finished fifth. On the other hand, Alok, who hails from Gothapur village under Baranga Police Station of Cuttack district, aims to win laurels for his employer — OSAP 6th Battalion, Cuttack.