Better show by Indian oarsmen

By Ritesh Gupta

CHANDIGARH, DEC. 15. For those handful of morning strollers who were there relishing the pleasant weather amidst the hilly surroundings at the Sukhna Lake here on Friday, the improved show by the Indian oarsmen in the sixth Asian junior rowing championship provided another reason for cheer.

Egged on by the spectators, Sunil Kakde performed with aplomb for a comfortable victory in the first heat of the `single scull' event.

Later the Indian quartet of Ashish Singh, Satish Shirsat, G. Nagaraj and Jasbir Singh sneaked past Chinese Taipei for a place in the `coxswainless four-oars' final.

Even as India had the satisfaction of gaining a direct berth in the final in three cut of four events in the men's category, the women squad's poor show in the `double sculls' and `coxswainless pair-oars' meant that the repechages, slated for Saturday, will decide their fate for the medal quest.

First, Manjula Rai and H. Elizabeth went down tamely to the Korean duo of Lee Joo Young and Kim Un Ha in the double sculls before Purnalaxmi Rai and Mary Monika Minz finished a distant third in the coxswainless pair-oar event.

Though the Indian women failed to arouse much interest, the men's effort was far more encouraging. The 18-year- old Pune-based Kakde led from the beginning and finally eased past Indonesia's Jefrain Dodudea by 50 metres.

``I did not exert much as I was placed nicely throughout,'' said Kakde, who took seven minutes and 58.59 seconds.

But Kakde has his task cut out as Hong Kong's Law Hui Fung clocked 14:34 seconds less.

``My personal best is around seven minutes and 10 seconds. I have adjusted nicely and will go for a strong finish in the final,'' said 17-year Law Hui, who trains at the Satin Sports Club.

Unlike Kakde, it was a much closer battle for the Indian quartet in the `coxswainless four-oars' event. Facing tough resistance from Chinese Taipei, the Indians pulled ahead in the last 250 metres before emerging victorious by almost a boat- length.

However, Hong Kong, the winner in the other heat clocked a better timing (3.98 seconds ahead of India). ``Our team is doing well because we have got our own boats and the weather too suits us fine,'' said Hong Kong coach Lo Wan Kai. So far, Hong Kong has performed better than the other teams around, making the final directly in six events.

The results

(heats, the winner makes it to the final): men's (single sculls): Heat I: 1. Sunil Kakde (Ind) 7:58.59, 2. Jefrain Dodudea (Ina) 8:21.15, 3. Roozaimy Omar (Sin) 8:25.26; Heat II: 1. Low Hui Fung (Hkg) 7:44.25, 2. Kim Jeong Kwan (Kor) 8:20.71, 3. Zhang Maibo (Chn) 8:26.67; Heat III: 1. Kawawoto Hidetoshi (Jpn) 8:07.19, 2. Khudoyberdi Khaydarov 8:28.28, 3. Bing Jia Hau (Tpe) 8:31.71.

Coxswainless four-oars: Heat I: 1. India (Ashish Singh, Satish Shirsat, G. Nagaraj and Jasbir Singh) 6:51.80, 2. Chinese Taipei (Gung Tai Ivon, Liou Vei-Run, Lin I Chivan and Kuen Cheng) 6:57.72, 3. Uzbekistan (Andrey Esveen, Ivon Kosarev, Murad Baymuratov and Khudoyberdi Khaydarov) 7:43.59; Heat II: 1. Hong Kong (Lai Wai Tin, to Ting Wai, Changfu Lan and Cheung Chun) 6:47.98, 2. China (Shen Biao, Lu Ming, Liu Yake and Cheng Kian Ghui) 6:59.10, 3. Korea (Kim Dong Wan, Lee Han Young, Choi Jin Ho and Ka Woo Hyun) 7:06.94, 4. Singapore (Budiman Osman, Mohammad Quashyim Yusuff, Mohammad Alhadi Osman and Faizal Ahmed) 7:47.77.

Women's (double sculls): Heat I: 1. Lou Suk Ling and Yung Ka Yan (Hkg) 8:16.24, 2. Saiturena and Koyama Naoko (Jpn) 8:22.66, 3. Huang Jun and Dong Shaoping (Chn) 8:34.11, 4. Zarrina Ganiyeva and Albina Ahmerova (Uzb) 8:39.83; Heat II: 1. Lee Joo Young and Kim Un Ha (Kor) 8:24.25, 2. Manjula Rai and H. Elizabeth (Ind) 8:39.92, 3. Huang Iv-Jen and Lin Chun Fang (Tpe) 8:52.46, 4. Nuurainee A. Rahim and Noornita Khalia (Sin) 9:26.42).

Coxswainless pair-oars: Heat I: 1. Zarifa Sisinbaeva and Anna Kuznetsova (Uzb) 8:24.32, 2. Song Kai and Zhang Xiaofui (Chn) 8:58.43, 3. Purnalaxmi Rai and Mary Monika Minz (Ind) 9:09.58; Heat II: 1. Lau Suk Ling and Yung Ka Yan (Hkg) 8:44.63, 2. Lin Chun Fang and Shiu Jing Mei (Tpe) 9:06.16, 3. Lee Sang Mi and Lee Dong I 10:33.62.

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