CHENNAI: I am the youngest in the crew,” says 63-year-old Naresh Vassudhev. The ‘crew’ is officially the oldest at today’s Masters National Rowing Championship being conducted at Sri Ramachandra Water Sports Centre. “We are participating under the Super Master category (for 55 and above) but we are way past 55,” chips in Revi Thomas, who turned 70 barely a month ago.
The team has just come ashore after an hour of practice at the Madras Boat Club stretch of the Adyar river (running black with the city’s collective garbage and, on this day, particularly foul-smelling). While P Venkatraman (75) had to run out to get to his day job, Naresh, Revi and S Radhakrishnan (75) sit down for a chat with CE. “We began rowing at Parry (India) Limited. We have an inter-company regatta called Merchants and Bankers for which we represented Parry. This was in the late 70’s, when we were 20 somethings. We have been rowing ever since,” says Revi.
The crew has journeyed through four decades of rowing from their first regatta to today’s contest.
Now, they are called ‘club colours’ — a title awarded to an oarsman after years of rowing and completing a certain number of national events to their credit. “You have to earn it; it is not given away easily,” says Revi. While it was the honour of playing for the company that made them pick up the oars, it was their love for the sport that made them pursue it with perserverance.
Naresh and Venkataraman row as often as possible; Revi and Radhakrishnan are at the Boat Club six days a week. Over the years, all four, individually, have seen their share of inter-club regattas, nationals and veteran events. “I rowed in the nationals in 1988 and won— the first and last time I think Tamil Nadu won,” Naresh reminisces.
However, this will be the first time the four men take part in a contest as one crew. And practice has been rigourous. They having been working towards it for the past two months continuously. “At our age, I don’t think many people can. At least, not in India,” shares Revi.
“You’re rowing maybe for a thousand yards. By the time you’re going for the fourth round and there is another 250 yards to go and you have to go for that is your finish line, you have to go for your second breath. And that will come only when your mental makeup is all there, “ says Revi.
Radhakrishnan adds, “Your mind masters the body. You can’t give up. Everybody is watching and unless something serious happens — someone has passed out or the equipment is faulty — you keep going.”
This ‘mental makeup’ is what they try to pass on to younger enthusiasts. “Every April, there is a summer camp at the Club for students. If they sustain, they become student members and are put through rigorous training. Those who sustain this become rowing members. And coaching is voluntary. People (older oarsmen) do it out of sheer passion,” explains Naresh.
“We get about 50 participants every year, but only 6-10 join,” says Radhakrishnan. Revi attributes the low numbers to the rigorous training. Ask them if they have had students falling in the river, they’re quick to laugh. “We have all had our holy dip,” says Naresh.But the “golden sport” has given these oarsmen much more than a routine. “It gives you discipline. Besides, once you splurge and realise you are unfit, you decide to do something to get fit, thinking about the past. That is what this sport gives you. So, it becomes a habit,” says Radhakrishnan.
“Unlike other sports, you start rowing at 6 am. All of us, irrespective of when we go to bed, are up by 5 am, without the need for an alarm clock,” he shares.Ask them how good their chances are of winning in today’s contest, they answer with an instant “100 per cent”, even as a fellow oarsmen chips in, “Yeah, for they are a single team. No one else is this old.”