Bajrang’s big splash

“I got picked for basketball at the army sports test. But then a coach suggested I be sent to rowing,so I followed there,” he recalls,of the time around Busan 2002 when the Indians had returned from the Asiad with a single bronze in rowing. “I started in Hyderabad,then a couple of years in Pune,and in 2004 won my first international gold medal after being inspired by Jenil Krishnan our senior rower,” he remembers.

What Bajrang Lal,the 29-year-old 6 footer recalls with greater clarity though,is the near-miss at Doha four years ago. “I missed gold by a micro-second,and I remember the coach’s disappointed face and his words that only had I watched my back I could have won,even now. The schedule for the next 4 years was drawn out immediately as I decided to not sit in peace till the gold was won,” says the armyman who shot a salute to the tricolour as it went up to the lilt of the national anthem,only the second time at Guangzhou.

Earlier,training had continued in India’s not-so-great facility Hussain Sagar at Secunderabad and its tepid waters,and at times filthy training shores,even as the Indians dreamt of an artificial and clean facility.

“That mistake four years ago kept haunting me,but I knew if we had to press for better facilities,we needed to show gold. Even the confusion over boats (the new sets landed in India,but too late for Guangzhou!) meant we came here without the usual peace of mind,” he recalls.

None of the mental muddle was visible on Friday,as Bajrang Lal led from start to finish,and completed an expected gold medal,after winning the Asian Championships the last two years against more or less the same field. What’s more,he even enjoyed the little tussle with Taipei’s MH Wang. “I was having fun with him on my tail,always knowing that I’m stronger and more experienced,and here to win gold,” says the confident armyman.

He couldn’t speak to his family — parents,brother,wife and two children — till late in the evening because they were busy celebrating his win. “First I had to wrap up here,and then they got too busy celebrating,” he says,even as he wishes to return home to play with his 6-month-old son.

Much can be done to change his Asian Games gold to upgrade it to an Olympic medal. “We are very far away from European standards. Many seconds. We could start with a good artificial facility with proper line and distance markers,and then proper boats and gyms,” he says hoping to do better than his quarter-final at Beijing.

“Bajrang’s best quality is that he is very dedicated,sincere and dogged. He simply doesn’t give up. And in single sculls,you need to be headstrong,because you are alone out there without a team to blame your failures on. He was picked for that mental strength,” says Ismail Baig,mentor to the gold-winning subedar.

Bajrang Lal is also pursuing Political Science on the side — and intends to complete his First Year studies in the break now. “I couldn’t sit and do nothing after training,and I like reading books,so I thought I’ll study,” he says,even as a congratulations call reveals his love for 90s movie songs. “I like music also. But rowing I treat with a calm,cool head like an obsession. Dimaag mein keeda baith jaata hai,” he adds. And he doesn’t like being told any target is out of his reach just like he detests being told a man from Rajasthan cannot ace a water-racing sport.

Medals in team events

Later,the Indian men’s eight team grabbed silver and the women claimed the pair bronze to make it a very fruitful day at the International Rowing Centre. Pratima Puhana and Pramila Minz,finished third by clocking 7 minutes and 47.50 seconds,well behind gold medal winners China,who crossed the finish line in 7:22.06. The silver went to Kazakhstan.

The men’s eight team clinched the silver,by clocking 5:49.50,behind hosts China who timed 5:37.44. Uzbekistan (5:55.96) finished third.