HYDERABAD: Top officials of the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) were caught in troubled waters with the Youth Services Department setting October 30 as the deadline for the rowers to vacate the premises adjacent to Sailing Club.

It may be recalled that the then NTR Government had allocated five acres of land for the proposed Rowing Academy and the then Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao had also earmarked Rs. 1 crore for the same.

But the rowing fraternity in the city received a rude jolt when they were thrown out a few weeks ago, forcing the Indian rowers also to stay in makeshift arrangements. Reason? The Youth Services Department top brass feels rowers have no business to stay on their premises.

But, C. P. S. Deo, secretary of the city-based RFI says only people can judge which is more prudent — having a Rowing Academy on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, which happens to be the only lake in India which facilitates a six-lane mandatory international course, or the Youth Services office complex?

"Give me 20 boys and girls from rural areas, especially from coastal Andhra. I can mould them into international medallists in just two years since everything is available here," challenges Col. Deo.

Apparently, SAAP has suggested an alternative to the rowing officials on the assurance of R. P. Wattal, Director-General of SAI, that a second floor would be constructed at the Begumpet Police Stadium here.

To protect the 120 boats, SAAP has also come forward to construct another temporary shed and provide rowers boarding facility at the police stadium.

YSR's promise

But, on the penultimate day of the Asian Rowing Championship, there was something to cheer about when Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy speaking at the prize distribution function, announced that the Rowing Academy will be set up at Hyderabad and the Government will spend Rs. 2 crores on it.

But the threat of being vacated from the premises as the October 30 deadline nears still haunts the rowers for there is no clear indication whether they can stay on the Youth Hostel premises or not.

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