Know Your Athlete: Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam’s Rowing Journey to the 2026 Asian Games

Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam returns to the Asian Games three years after her international debut as a junior still searching for confidence. This time, the 23-year-old Indian rower heads to Aichi-Nagoya with more experience, a stronger bond with her teammates and the belief that she can push herself further.

Tendenthoi will compete in the women’s four alongside Poonam, Aleena Anto and Gurbani Kaur, with the heats scheduled for September 20 at 7:10 am IST at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course. The quartet have been training and competing together since last year, giving them time to understand each other better and develop as a unit.

Her first Asian Games in 2023 came while she was still learning what it means to compete at the international level. Before her second performance, Tendenthoi admitted that although her performance was good, she didn’t have the confidence she has now.

“My first international competition was the 2023 Asian Games. My performance was good but I was not very confident as I was still a junior at that time. I had to learn a lot from seniors and take their advice,” she said.

Three years later, the difference is not only in experience, but also in the way Tendenthoi approaches the competition. Consistent training with her crew, overseas camps and international competitions have helped her understand how to handle pressure and perform as part of a team.

FROM JUNIOR TO CONTENDERS

The biggest change for Tendenthoi was the time he spent building chemistry with his teammates. Having trained together since last year, the crew has developed a better understanding of each other’s strengths and learned how to react together under pressure. Rigorous crew training changed Tendenthoi’s approach.

“This time we got a chance to train together for a long time. We’ve been together since last year, so we got to know each other better and got a chance to grow together. It gave us a lot of confidence,” she said.

The preparation of the crew took them even beyond the borders of India. Training camps in Australia and Europe, followed by international competitions, gave the rowers valuable experience in dealing with the different conditions and pressure of competing together.

“We went to Australia for a camp and also spent a lot of time in Europe. We had the opportunity to compete in two or three competitions there and learned a lot about how to handle competition, how to handle pressure, how to perform with confidence and how to perform together as a crew,” she added.

IIS DIFFERENCE

Tendenthoi’s development was also influenced by her work at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), where she trained throughout the year. The high-performance environment gave her access to support in areas outside of rowing, including nutrition, physiology and psychology.

“There have been a lot of changes after coming to IIS. We used to compete with each other, but after coming here, we feel more confident and feel like we can do a lot more,” she said.

Her journey at IIS also brought her closer to coach Lakshmi, whom Tendenthoi admired even before he took up rowing. She watched Lakshmi compete in the Asian Games and bring recognition to the state, and says the journey inspired her own sporting ambitions.

“I have known Lakshmi since around 2007-08. I saw her training and saw how she brought great recognition to the state. She competed in the Asian Games and I was inspired by her even before I started rowing,” she said.

FAMILY CONVICTIONS

Tendenthoia’s introduction to rowing was closely linked to her family and her early exposure to water sports. Growing up near the club in Bishnupur district, she and her sister were involved in water sports before eventually taking up rowing.

Her parents remained a constant source of encouragement, especially when training meant spending long periods away from home.

“Since I joined rowing, my parents have been very supportive. They always told me that I could go far if I trained hard and was disciplined,” she said.

Her sister also gave her a simple goal to take to Aichi-Nagoya.

“They believe I can win a medal at the Asian Games,” Tendenthoi said.

That belief captures how much has changed since 2023. Once reliant on the experience of the seniors, the junior now returns with years of international exposure, a crew she knows well and a support system that has helped her believe in what she can achieve.

Now, on September 20, Tendenthoi and her team will get a chance to translate that confidence into performance on the Asian Games stage.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 15:47 IST