Srilanka, Oct. 5 -- The 54th annual regatta between the traditional rivals Royal College and S. Thomas' College will be held today at the Colombo Rowing Club.

Last year, Royal broke a two-year drought to reclaim the overall trophy with a commanding 44-8 victory, ending S. Thomas' winning streak. The Royal-Thomian regatta is the oldest Inter-School rowing competition in Sri Lanka.

It began as a single boat race in 1962 on the Beira Lake, won by Royal, who became the first holders of the Crossed Oars Trophy. In 1966, the contest grew into a full regatta with six events including sculls, coxless pairs and coxed fours, with the T. Noel Fernando Memorial Trophy awarded to the overall winner. Over the years, the event has expanded with new ra...