Indian rowers Sawarn Singh, Dattu Bhokanal, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh came up with a superb performance to win gold in the men’s quadruple sculls category at the 18th Asian Games here on Friday.
This is only the second gold for India since they started participating in the rowing events at the Asiad. The first was won by Bajrang Lal Takhar in men’s singles sculls at the 2010 Games. The Indian team clocked a time of 6 minutes and 17.13 seconds while hosts Indonesia clocked 6:20.58 to take the silver. Thailand had to be content with the bronze at 6:22.41.
The other Indian rowers in the men’s section also enjoyed a successful day with bronze medals coming in the lightweight single sculls and lightweight double sculls categories. Dushyant started India’s campaign on the sixth day of the Asian Games on a positive note by bagging the bronze medal in the men’s lightweight single sculls final.
The 25-year-old, who had also clinched a bronze at the 2014 Asiad, clocked a time of 7 minutes and 18.76 seconds to finish the competition at the third place. South Korea’s Hyunsu Park (7 minutes and 12.86 seconds) secured the gold while Hin Chun Chiu (7 minutes 14.16 seconds) bagged silver.
India bagged another bronze when Bhagwan Singh and Rohit Kumar finished third in the men’s lightweight double sculls final. Clocking a time of 7 minutes 04.61 seconds, the Indian pair were at the third place in the finals. The Japanese pair comprising Masayuki Miyaura and Masahiro Takeda secured gold, while Byumhoon Kim and Minhyuk Lee of South Korea clinched silver.
But the Indian women’s four team turned out to be a disappointment as they finished sixth and last in the final. Continental powerhouse China won gold with 7:05.50 while Vietnam (7:14.52) and Indonesia (7:19.02) took silver and bronze respectively.
