CHENNAI: The Asian Games has been a happy hunting ground for Indian rowers with the country's contingent finishing with at least a medal except for the 1986 edition when the team didn't participate in the quadrennial event. The 2010 Asiad remains their best show so far as the rowers bagged a gold, three silver and one bronze.
The Rowing Federation of India (RFI) expects to better it this time around as on Monday it named a 33-member contingent, including four substitutes for this year's edition scheduled in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
The squad comprises experienced rowers including the 2020 Tokyo Olympians Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh with the 23-year-old Balraj Panwar being a surprise entry. With their best bet in single sculls Satnam Singh opting for double sculls, the RFI, at one stage, was deliberating whether to send the entry in the category. "
As Satnam opted for double sculls, we tried freshers for single sculls. Balraj has improved a lot in the last month so we decided to give him a chance. It turned out to be an interesting call as he and Kulwinder Singh, both from the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), gave a tough fight to each other. The first race ended in a photo finish while Kulwinder won the second by two seconds. Balraj won the third by six seconds. We selected Balraj as he even had an edge in the first race," Rajlaxmi Singh Deo, RFI president, told this daily.
Single sculls have given India one of two gold medals the country has won in rowing since 1982. Bajrang Lal Thakar clinched the gold in the 2010 edition. He had also bagged a silver in the event in the 2006 Asiad. Rookie Balraj hopes to carry Thakar's legacy forward when he competes in the Asian Games.
Interestingly, Balraj, a sepoy with the Indian Army, has competed in only one national championship (2023 edition) so far wherein he won quadruple gold.
Before the nationals, he participated in the 2022 National Games held in Gujarat. Given his extraordinary performance in the last month, Balraj will make his international debut in the World Cup III scheduled in Lucerne, Switzerland from July 7 to 9.
"It's good to get international exposure before the Asian Games," Balraj told this daily before leaving for Switzerland on Monday. It was his passion to serve in the Indian Army which connected Balraj, who hails from Karnal, Haryana, to rowing. "I started rowing in 2020. Given my tall frame (6 feet), my coach at Bengal Engineering Group, Roorkee, Sunil Kumar asked me to pursue rowing. The decision paid dividends as I did well in the inter-battalion event and followed it up with a good show in the inter-centre competitions to land at the Army Rowing Node in Pune in October 2021," said Balraj.
The rower lost his father Randhir Singh when he was 11. His mother, Kamla Devi, worked in garment factories to make sure the family comprising six children (four daughters and two sons) get food and basic education. Once Balraj was recruited into the Indian Army, he started taking care of the family's expenses giving his mother a well-deserved rest.
"My mother had worked hard for us. Now she deserves to rest. I hope I will come true to everybody's expectations. Asian Games will be an opportunity to repay and I will try my best to come out with flying colours there," signed off Balraj.
Rowing squad for Asian Games:
Men: Balraj Panwar (Single Scull), Satnam Singh (Double Scull and Quadruple Scull), Parminder Singh (Double Scull and Quadruple Scull), Jakar Khan (Quadruple Scull), Sukhmeet Singh (Quadruple Scull), Arvind Singh (Light Weight Double Scull), Arjun Lal Jat (Light Weight Double Scull), Babu Lal Yadav (Coxless Pair), Lekh Ram (Coxless Pair), Jaswinder Singh (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Bheem Singh (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Punit Kumar (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Ashish (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Neeraj (Coxed Eight), Naresh Kalwaniya (Coxed Eight), Neetesh Kumar (Coxed Eight), Charanjeet Singh (Coxed Eight), D U Pande (Coxed Eight), Ashish Goliyan (Substitute, Sweep), Kulwinder Singh (Substitute, Sculls).
Women: Kiran (Light Weight Double Scull), Anshika Bharti (Light Weight Double Scull), Aswathi P B (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Mrunamayee Nilesh S (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Thangjam Priya Devi (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Rukmani (Coxless Four and Coxed Eight), Sonali Swain (Coxed Eight), Ritu Kaudi (Coxed Eight), Varsha K B (Coxed Eight), H Tendenthoi Devi (Coxed Eight), G Geetanjali (Coxed Eight), Rose Mestica Meril A (Substitute), Archa Aji (Substitute).