Rowers protest last-minute crew changes at Asian Games, say RFI official warned of ruined careers
· Sports · Indian Express, India Today
Rowers from India's men's rowing team objected to last-minute crew changes made two days before the Asian Games rowing competition in Gifu, Japan. They said a top federation official warned that their future would be ruined if they refused to race in the new teams. The Rowing Federation of India president, Balaji Maradapa, denied heated conversations and blamed outside forces, citing a compressed two-day competition schedule as necessitating the changes. Established crews, including the men's four team of Babulal Yadav, Jaswinder Singh, Nitin Kumar, and Yogesh Kumar who had trained together for six months, were broken up just before the event. Jaswinder Singh and Nitin Kumar were replaced by Saurav Kumar and Vipul Ghurde, and the team finished fourth in its heat with a time of 6:30.47, failing to advance. Some rowers considered skipping training or going on strike but returned after discussions with officials and coaches.
Why it matters
The controversy affects elite Indian rowers who had prepared for months, potentially undermining team morale and performance in international competitions. It also raises concerns about athlete welfare and decision-making transparency within the Rowing Federation of India.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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