Olympian and Asian Games gold medallist Dattu Bhokanal marked a triumphant return to the National Sprint Rowing Championships, clinching the men’s singles scull gold at the Army Rowing Node in Pune on Saturday. In a nail-biting finish, the 32-year-old athlete edged out Services rower Salman Khan by a mere three-tenths of a second, crossing the finish line in 1 minute 29.5 seconds compared to Khan’s 1:29.8, securing the coveted title.
The victory served as redemption for Dattu, who faced disappointment with a fourth-place finish in the 2,000m race. Reflecting on the challenging schedule, he explained, “I was entered in three events in the 2,000m competition, and there was only a 20-minute gap between quadruple and single scull. I couldn’t recover enough for the race.” Despite the setback, Dattu’s gold in the singles scull event brought a smile to his face.
Dattu, a former army athlete now competing under the Maharashtra flag, expressed his contentment at returning to the Army Rowing Node, where he had previously trained as a Naib Subedar. The victory holds significance for Dattu, who looks forward to being included in the Indian probables for the Asian-Oceania Qualifying event for the Paris Olympics in April.
The Maharashtra Rowing Association’s scheduling decisions, leading to Dattu missing out on the 2,000m medal, could potentially have implications for his Olympic prospects. Despite this, Dattu remains optimistic, stating, “I am confident it will be taken note of,” referring to his strong performance in the heats.
In other events, Babu Lal Yadav and Lekh Ram of the Army secured a double victory, claiming the men’s pairs gold to complement their earlier 2,000m title. Maharashtra’s Mrunmayee Salgaonkar, paired with Mitesh Gill, secured bronze in the mixed double scull.
In women’s events, Madhya Pradesh’s Poonam and Rukmini won the lightweight doubles scull, while Khushpreet Kaur excelled in the single scull. The pairs event saw Orissa’s Sonali Swain and Ritu Kaudi emerge victorious, while Manipur’s Th Priya Devi and H Tendenthoi Devi claimed the double scull gold. Kerala’s Rose Mariya Joshi, Varsha KB, Aswathi PB, and Meenakshy VS clinched the fours gold ahead of Tamil Nadu.
