Dattu Bhokanal's do-or-die spirit lifts India to gold

Indian rowing team members Sawarn Singh (left), Bhokanal Dattu, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh (right) celebrate winning gold in the quadruple sculls yesterday. Pic/PTI

Less than 48 hours ago, India's veteran rower Dattu Bhokanal, 27, was almost a villain. Firstly, he had forgotten to lock his oar gate before the start of his single sculls race due to which his boat capsized. Then, he gave up mid-way through the race citing a tired body, leaving coach Ismail Baig furious.

However, yesterday, Bhokanal was the hero as he along with Sawarn Singh, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh clocked 6:17:13 to win gold in the men's quadruple sculls event in Palembang.

Coach Baig later told mid-day that he had taken a gamble on Bhokanal and was fortunate it paid off. "After Dattu failed in his individual event, he was distraught and I was upset too. We had a chat and even discussed the possibility of him not being a part of the quadruple sculls event. But he refused and told me that he will do-or-die and that's exactly what he did," Baig said after his team's gold medal achievement.

India also bagged two bronze medals in rowing yesterday, the first through Dushyant Chauhan, who finished third in the lightweight single sculls event, and the second through Rohit Kumar and Bhagwan Singh in the lightweight double sculls.

But obviously, it's the golden glory that coach Baig was happy to continue discussing: "I reminded Dattu that he nearly drowned last time and that if he lost this time, then my career could be on the line. But he assured me that he would not return to the shore without a medal-winning effort. 'Main India ki naiyya paar lagaoonga [I will take India safely ashore],' Dattu told me and lived up to his promise," added Baig.

Finally, moments before the race, Baig had one final chat with all four of his boys in the quadruple sculls team. "I told them that you are going as four but remember, if you don't come back with a medal, it will be as though the five of us have drowned. They realised I was dead serious and promised to keep Indian rowing afloat," he said.

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