In fear of being called anti-national, Indian rowers race against will at Asian Games

India's rowing campaign at the Asian Games has been overshadowed by a bitter dispute over last-minute changes to the team's crews, with athletes alleging that they were pushed into competing despite their reservations and feared being branded "anti-national" if they refused.

The issue came into sharp focus after Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in the men's double sculls. Rather than celebrating the medal, the rowers spoke about what they believe was a missed opportunity for gold.

Speaking to RevSportz, Satnam said the athletes felt they had little choice but to compete.

"If we hadn't participated, we'd be considered anti-national," he said.

The comments came after several days of frustration within the rowing camp, where athletes had questioned changes to their events and crew combinations shortly before competition.

The controversy centres on a series of changes to India's rowing line-up made just days before the competition.

The rowing programme had originally been planned across four days. But weather disruptions caused by Typhoon Dujuan compressed the competition into two days, forcing the Indian camp to rethink its crew combinations.

The changes affected several events. Arvind Singh, who was originally entered in the single sculls, was moved to the quadruple sculls, while Balraj Panwar was shifted from the quad to the single sculls.

Saurav Kumar and Vipul Satish, who were initially part of the men's pair, were set to be replaced by Nitin Kumar and Jaswinder Singh. Reserve Jasmail Singh was also set to be included in the coxless four.

Navdeep Singh and Kulwinder Singh, meanwhile, were moved from the double sculls to the quadruple sculls.

The changes left several athletes frustrated, particularly because they came so close to competition. One rower said those moved from their original events were "very disturbed", while another said some athletes had not eaten after the developments.

"Some rowers have not taken food yet as they are in a disturbed state of mind. They are not knowing what to do," a rower told PTI.

An official tracking the situation also acknowledged the mood inside the team, saying, "It is very sad, but things are not rosy in the rowing team."WHY THE CHANGES WERE MADE

The federation's explanation centres on the disruption to the schedule.

RFI president Balaji Maradapa said the revised crew combinations were decided by the coaches in the interest of the team after the rowing programme was reduced from four days to two because of the weather disruption caused by Typhoon Dujuan.

Maradapa also accused a former coach of "influencing" the athletes.

The federation's position is that the altered schedule required the coaches to rethink the combinations.

But that explanation has not settled the issue for the rowers, who believe the late changes affected their medal prospects.

And that is where the bronze won by Satnam and Salman becomes significant.A BRONZE WITH QUESTIONS

Satnam and Salman secured the bronze, but their comments after the race showed that the result had not erased their frustration.

For the rowers, the issue is not simply about being moved between events. They believe the changes came too late and affected their chances of winning gold.

Satnam's comment about being branded anti-national if they had not participated underlines the pressure the athletes say they felt.

The allegation also raises questions about how the revised combinations were communicated to the rowers and whether they were adequately consulted before the changes were made.

The federation has explained why the crews were altered. The athletes, however, remain frustrated with how those decisions were handled.

For Satnam and Salman, the bronze is therefore more than a medal. It is also a reminder of what they believe could have been a chance to fight for gold.

The medal has settled the result on the water. It has not settled the dispute over how India's crews were put together in the first place.- EndsPublished By: Amar PanickerPublished On: Sep 24, 2026 15:53 IST