Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande at the finals of the 40th Senior National and 24th Sprint Rowing Championships that held at the Army Rowing Node (ARN) in the College of Military Engineering in Pune. (Twitter/@adgpi) Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande Sunday expressed confidence that Indian rowers would bag medals at major International events, including the Asiad and the Olympics, considering their potential and talents.
The Army Chief was speaking at the finals of the 40th Senior National and 24th Sprint Rowing Championships that were held at the Army Rowing Node (ARN) in the College of Military Engineering in Pune.
Speaking at finals where he presented medals to the podium finishers in various categories, Gen Pande said, “It is heartening to see the standard growing and rising to new heights every year. (Twitter/@adgpi) Speaking at finals where he presented medals to the podium finishers in various categories, Gen Pande said, “It is heartening to see the standard growing and rising to new heights every year. This is a testament to the coaching as well as the support staff who have worked tirelessly to nurture the talent of our rowers. We owe it to our predecessors who conceived the idea of an international rowing channel and the Army Rowing Node way back in 2009. Consequent to that vision and passion, today we have a rowing channel which is at par with international courses the world over.”
He added, “I don’t think the day is too far when we will be privileged to host an international event. Witnessing the races today, one can see the immense potential and talent that exists within the country. I am confident that we will see the tricolour proudly fluttering at the major events that are coming up — the Asiad and the future Olympics and the world championships.”
The championships were dominated by rowers from the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) and the Army Sports Control Board (ASCB). In the Men’s Single Scull event, Sapper Salman Khan of ASCB, Dattu Baban Bhoknal of Maharashtra, and Satnam Singh of the Indian Navy finished with gold, silver, and bronze respectively.
In Men’s Double Scull rower pairs from SSCB, ASCB, and Punjab finished the podium in that order. In Men’s Coxless Fours, teams from ASCB, SSCB, and Rajasthan won medals. In Para Single Scull, Havildar K Naryana of SSCB, Naik Kuldeep Singh of ASCB, and Kapil Sharma of Uttar Pradesh finished on the podium.