Suresh-Sunil duo saves India the blushes

Ritesh Gupta

CHANDIGARH, DEC. 14. With their smooth rowing, the duo of L. Suresh and Sunil Kakde not only progressed to the `doubles sculls' final but also saved India the blushes.

Contrary to the fine effort from the reigning National champion pair, the display from the other Indian rowers remained submerged in troubled waters on the opening day of the sixth Asian junior rowing championship at the Sukhna Lake here on Thursday.

On a day when the heats for four events were conducted, India qualified for the final from only one event, thanks to Suresh and Kakde, who defeated Guang Jang and Shiang Vei Tsau of Chinese Taipei, by almost 150 metres.

The Indians needed seven minutes and 53.71 seconds to cover two kilometres, which was 3.98 seconds more than Tam Kai Wai and Chan Chun Lung of Hong Kong, the duo which made the final from the other heat.

Though Suresh and Kakde looked worth a medal, the others seen in action failed to evoke much interest. Local-girl Gurpreet Kaur finished second in her `single sculls' heat behind Mako Ozawa. Indians finished last in the heats of the two other events. Men's `coxswainless' duo of Satish Shirsat and G. Nagaraj, and women's `coxswainless' quartet of Purnalaxmi Rai, H. Elizabeth, Manjula Rai and Mary Monika Minz stand very little chance to get into the medal bracket with their ordinary show.

lThe results (heats, the winner proceeds to the final): men: double sculls: Heat I: 1. Tam Kai Wai and Chan Chun Lung (Hkg) 7:49.73, 2. Kenji Funda and Kohfe Hamanaka (Jpn) 7:55.30, 3. Libo Geng and Yi Yank (Chn) 8:31.30, 4. Baymuratov Kurad and Khaydarov Khodo Yberdi (Uzb) 8:33.21.

Heat II: 1. Sunil Kakde and L. Suresh (Ind) 7:53.71, 2. Guang Jang and Shiang Vei Tsau (Tpe) 8:18.41, 3. Won Sunh Yong and Kim Seon Young (Kor) 8:19.92, 4. Doludea Jefrain and Maryandi Aldino (Ina) 8:21.71.

Coxswainless pair-oars: Heat I: 1. Biao Shen and Lu Ming (Chn) 8:09.14, 2. Kim Dong Wan and Hyun Ka Woon (Kor) 8:11.18, 3. Andrey Evseev and Ivan Kosarev (Uzb) 8:50.56, 4. Budiman Osman and Mohammad Quashim Yusoff (Sin) 9:04.72.

Heat II: 1. Ivan Tai Gung and Cheng Gau Kven (Tpe) 8;15.57, 2. Chun Sg Man and Sheung Yu Man (Hkg) 8:33.20, 3. G. Nagaraj and Satish Shirsat (Ind) 9:05.72.

Women: single sculls: Heat I: 1. Mako Ozawa (Jpn) 8:47.95, 2. Gurpreet Kaur (Ind) 9:14.97, 3. Nallya Nazarova (Uzb) 9:25.00, 4. Li Pei Shvang (Tpe) 9:55.36.

Heat II: 1. Jhuo Jia (Chn) 2. Kim Un Ha (Kor), 3. Mak Hoi Ying (Hkg) (No timings were recorded).

Coxswainless four-oars: Heat I: 1. China (Zhuo Jia, Lu Yin, He Jun and Zhou Yanyan) 8:24.06, 2. Uzbekistan (Albina Ahmerova, Zarrina Ganiyeva, Anna Kuznetsova and Zarita Sinbaeva) 8:32.25, 3. India (Purnalaxmi Rai, H. Elizabeth, Manula Rai and Mary Monika Minz) 9:05.72.

Heat II: 1. Hong Kong (Lau Pui Wai, Chan Hok Yan, Wong Ngal Fun and Lau Siu Ping) 8:16.08, 2. Korea (Shun Hee Kyun, Lim Jin Seon, Lee Sang Mi and Lee Dong In) 8:21.98, 3. Chinese Taipei (Ju Jia, Chen Ia Li, Shen Bai and Lin Man Lin) 8:46.56.

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