Guangzhou:
Using borrowed boats, the 30-strong Indian rowing team spearheaded by the seasoned Bajrang Lal Takhar ended their campaign in the Asian Games with a historic first gold, three silver and a maiden women's bronze here on Friday.
Takhar, Asian champion in men's single sculls, led all the way in the final of the power-endurance event to win an epoch-making first gold medal in Games history but there is an interesting story behind the success story.
"The government imported new boats for us but they were held up in India and by the time they got released by the authorities we had to urgently requisition the old boats we used in the 2002 Asian Games which were in good condition. We also borrowed a couple of boats from the army and took part in the Games," team coach Ismail Baig told reporters after the end of its campaign.
Gold medallist Takhar, a 29-year-old army Subedar Naik belonging to the Rajputana Rifles and a former basketball and handball player, said he was determined to win gold after claiming a silver four years ago in Doha.
"It was my dream to win the Asian Games gold after winning the silver in Doha. I was very proud when the tri-colour went up (the pole during the medal ceremony). I knew all the competitors and was confident of winning," the father of two said.
"The difference from silver (in Doha) to gold is huge. Gold medal is gold medal," said the rower who exhorted the Indian government to improve the facilities for him and others.
"We need better infrastructure and at least a few artificial lakes to train in. The Chinese have 14 such artificial lakes. We train in the polluted waters of the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad," he said.
Takhar said not having new boats for the competition did play on the Indian rowers' mind.
"It was in our mind that we did not have our new boats but we overcame it," he said.
Rowing Federation of India secretary-general V Sriram slammed the Sports Authority of India's lower level personnel for the goof-up that prevented the new boats from being sent for the Games in time.
"The higher level people of the Sports Authority of India are very good and the sports ministry official Injeti Srinivas is also very receptive to ideas. But the lower order people are not good enough and don't understand the federation's needs. We are all amateurs who do honorary work for the love of the sport," said the RFI official who took part in the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.
Sriram also wanted the government to improve the infrastructure for rowing and said the federation was capable of giving them good food and nutritional supplements.
"We want better infrastructure like hostels for these rowers to stay when they train. We need to improve the water ways like Hussain Sagar Lake which is currently very polluted for rowing," he said.
Sriram also praised the work done by coach Baig and said he was getting a pittance as salary and was in the sport because of his love for it.
"Our coach gets a mere Rs 15,000 as salary and his army pension helps him manage. Just compare this with the salary the government pays the foreign coaches in other sports, USD 5000. We can ask for a foreign coach but they don't understand our psyche," he said.
The next target of the rowers was to qualify for the London Olympics in two years' time through the Asian championship in Korea next year, the official said.
Takhar, Asian champion in men's single sculls, led all the way in the final of the power-endurance event to win an epoch-making first gold medal in Games history but there is an interesting story behind the success story.
"The government imported new boats for us but they were held up in India and by the time they got released by the authorities we had to urgently requisition the old boats we used in the 2002 Asian Games which were in good condition. We also borrowed a couple of boats from the army and took part in the Games," team coach Ismail Baig told reporters after the end of its campaign.
Gold medallist Takhar, a 29-year-old army Subedar Naik belonging to the Rajputana Rifles and a former basketball and handball player, said he was determined to win gold after claiming a silver four years ago in Doha.
"It was my dream to win the Asian Games gold after winning the silver in Doha. I was very proud when the tri-colour went up (the pole during the medal ceremony). I knew all the competitors and was confident of winning," the father of two said.
"The difference from silver (in Doha) to gold is huge. Gold medal is gold medal," said the rower who exhorted the Indian government to improve the facilities for him and others.
"We need better infrastructure and at least a few artificial lakes to train in. The Chinese have 14 such artificial lakes. We train in the polluted waters of the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad," he said.
Takhar said not having new boats for the competition did play on the Indian rowers' mind.
"It was in our mind that we did not have our new boats but we overcame it," he said.
Rowing Federation of India secretary-general V Sriram slammed the Sports Authority of India's lower level personnel for the goof-up that prevented the new boats from being sent for the Games in time.
"The higher level people of the Sports Authority of India are very good and the sports ministry official Injeti Srinivas is also very receptive to ideas. But the lower order people are not good enough and don't understand the federation's needs. We are all amateurs who do honorary work for the love of the sport," said the RFI official who took part in the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.
Sriram also wanted the government to improve the infrastructure for rowing and said the federation was capable of giving them good food and nutritional supplements.
"We want better infrastructure like hostels for these rowers to stay when they train. We need to improve the water ways like Hussain Sagar Lake which is currently very polluted for rowing," he said.
Sriram also praised the work done by coach Baig and said he was getting a pittance as salary and was in the sport because of his love for it.
"Our coach gets a mere Rs 15,000 as salary and his army pension helps him manage. Just compare this with the salary the government pays the foreign coaches in other sports, USD 5000. We can ask for a foreign coach but they don't understand our psyche," he said.
The next target of the rowers was to qualify for the London Olympics in two years' time through the Asian championship in Korea next year, the official said.
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