Nagoya, Sep 23 The controversy surrounding the last-minute changes of crew members in India’s Asian Games rowing team refuses to die down as a few players contemplate making a representation to the sports minister while the national federation’s president accused a former coach of “influencing” them.
Even as rowing competitions began on Wednesday, at least two rowers said that some players are mulling over making a complaint to the sports minister once the contingent returns to India.
“Our combinations were changed in the last minute and that has affected our performances. Suddenly, you are putting a different rower to row just before the event starts, how do you adjust with that? The result can be anything, say in pairs or fours, where you need synchronisation and rhythm, etc,” one rower told PTI on condition of anonymity.
“Yes, we were helpless, we had to compete. But we were forced (to compete) in a way the coaches and the federation wanted. We plan to make a complaint about this to the sports ministry after the Games,” the player added.
The controversy does not affect the five female rowers in the Indian team. It only concerns the 17 male rowers in the competition.
The Rowing Federation of India (RFI) President Balaji Maradapa, however, said that the matter has been resolved but went on to accuse one unnamed former coach, who is not here with the team, of instigating the players.
“Most of these players are young and one former coach who has been involved in rowing for more than 20 years is influencing them. I have told the players not to be influenced by a person sitting more than 10,000 kms away from here,” he said.
“The matter is resolved now. They competed today and will compete tomorrow also.”
Maradapa said that the decision to change the combination of some crew members had been taken in the team’s interest after the duration of the rowing competition was compressed to two days from four, due to weather disruptions caused by Typhoon Dujuan and earlier heavy rain damage at the venue.
“Rowing competitions were to start on September 21 but started today (September 23). It’s now just two days and four sessions. One player can’t row in the morning, then in the evening and next day also,” Maradapa said.
“So, at the managers’ meeting (a day before the start of competitions), it was decided to change combinations and bring in new rowers. We needed to take a call. It was done in the interest of the team as a whole.”
He said that other countries also made changes in their crew combinations because of the change in schedule.
“We have a rowing expert from Australia (Antony Patterson) who has worked for seven years here in Japan. We have to trust in his expert advice. He (Antony Patterson) and our two senior Indian coaches took the decision just after the managers’ meeting.”
Among the changes made in the crew combinations was the 2022 Asian Games silver medal winner Arvind Singh, who was moved to quadruple sculls from single sculls. Balraj Panwar, who was in quadruple sculls, was shifted to single sculls.
Saurav Kumar and Vipul Satish were to be the men’s pair first team but they were replaced by Nitin Kumar and Jaswinder Singh. Saurav and Vipul were put in men’s four with Babu Lal Yadav and Yogesh Kumar.
Navdeep Singh and Kulwinder Singh were shifted out of double sculls to quadruple sculls and put with Arvind and Jakar Khan. Reserves Ajay Tyagi, Jasmail Singh and Rohit were named for starts.
India had won 5 medals (2 silver, 3 bronze) in the last edition of Asian Games in this event.
On Wednesday, Indians entered in the Final A (medal round) in four events (men and women) while they failed to make medal rounds in three events.
(PTI News)
