Indian rowers consider complaint to Sports Ministry after last-minute Asian Games crew reshuffle

A group of India's male rowers are weighing a complaint to the Sports Ministry over last-minute changes to crew combinations at the Asian Games as rowing competition began on September 23. The Rowing Federation of India defended the adjustments, saying a compressed schedule forced the reshuffle.

Seventeen male rowers were affected by the changes; the issue does not involve the five female rowers. RFI president Balaji Maradapa said the situation had been settled and accused an unnamed former coach of influencing younger athletes, saying, "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 added: "The matter is resolved now. They competed today and will compete tomorrow also."

At least two rowers, speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, criticised the late alterations and said they hampered performance, telling the agency: "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 of those rowers also said: "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 reshuffle moved several established line-ups: Arvind Singh, the 2022 Asian Games silver medallist, was switched from single sculls to quadruple sculls while Balraj Panwar moved from quadruple sculls to single sculls. The men's pair originally selected, Saurav Kumar and Vipul Satish, were replaced by Nitin Kumar and Jaswinder Singh; Saurav and Vipul were reassigned to the men's four alongside Babu Lal Yadav and Yogesh Kumar.

Further adjustments saw Navdeep Singh and Kulwinder Singh shifted from double sculls into the quadruple sculls crew that includes Arvind and Jakar Khan. Reserve rowers Ajay Tyagi, Jasmail Singh and Rohit were also named for starts following the changes.

Maradapa explained the federation reduced the rowing programme from four days to two because of weather disruptions caused by Typhoon Dujuan and earlier heavy rain damage at the venue, noting the competition, originally due to start on September 21, began on September 23. He said the alterations were agreed at the managers' meeting a day before competition started and made to manage athletes' workloads, adding: "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." RFI said it relied on the advice of Australian rowing expert Antony Patterson, who has worked in Japan for seven years.

India won five rowing medals at the 2022 Asian Games — two silver and three bronze. On Wednesday, Indian rowers reached Final A, or the medal round, in four events but did not advance to medal rounds in three other events, and the squad has concentrated on competition results amid the dispute.

At least some team members indicated they will pursue a formal representation with the Sports Ministry after returning to India, so the disagreement over the late crew changes may continue beyond the end of India's Asian Games campaign.