Indian Rowing Pair Arjun Lal Jat-Arvind Singh Clinch Silver at Hangzhou Asian Games, Eyeing 2024 Olympics Gold

24 Sep, (VNI) On Sunday, a noteworthy performance was delivered by Indian rowers, securing two silver and a bronze medal at the Asian Games, marking a promising start to their campaign. The Fuyang Water Sports Centre provided idyllic conditions for rowing, where the country's account was inaugurated by Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh, who clinched a silver medal in the men's lightweight doubles sculls event. A time of 6:28.18s was clocked by the Indian duo, placing them behind China's Junjie Fan and Man Sun, who secured gold with 6:23.16s.

The bronze was claimed by the Uzbekistan pair of Shakhzod Nurmatov and Sobirjon Safaroliyev, recording a time of 6:33.42s.

The men's coxed eight event proved to be gruelling, witnessing a fervent competition between China and India, culminating in the latter securing second place with a time of 5:43.01s. This placed them 2.84 seconds behind the host team, who recorded 5:40.17.

The Indian men's coxed-eight team consisted of Neeraj, Nareskh Kalwaniya, Neetish Kumar, Charanjeet Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Bheem Singh, Puneet Kumar, and Ashish.

Indonesia secured third place with a time of 5:45.51s.

This accomplishment gains further acclaim considering that rowers from the dominant nations of Uzbekistan and Japan finished in fourth and fifth positions respectively.

In the coxless pair event, bronze was claimed by India's Babulal Yadav and Lekh Ram, recording a time of 6:50.41 seconds. They trailed behind gold medalists from Hong Kong, China (6:44.20 seconds), and Uzbekistan (6:48.11).

A substantial contingent of 33 rowers was dispatched by India to the continental games.

Arvind, following his exploits in lightweight doubles sculls, mentioned that the pair had set their sights on gold, but a setback in the form of an injury two months prior had hindered their training. According to Arvind, two months ago, he was kept from training for 20 to 25 days due to lower back pain. He remarked that, had it not been for that, the gold medal would have been secured by them.

He then revealed that their subsequent objective is to strive for glory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Arvind stated that their focus will be shifted towards the Paris Olympics, and then endeavours will be made to aim for gold at the 2026 Asian Games. He attributed his swift recovery to his physiotherapist, mentioning that with the help of targeted recovery exercises, his robust recuperation was facilitated within a month.

Arjun, his teammate, affirmed that the gold medal was initially set out with in mind.

The target was gold, but it was ensured that their all was given. According to their coach's advice, it was ensured that they exerted themselves to the fullest. Regrettably, their (personal) best of 6:19, a record achieved at their Army nodal center in Pune, couldn't be matched, reflected Arjun.