India’s rowing squad enters the opening day of the 2026 Asian Games amid allegations that last-minute crew changes left athletes distressed, unwilling to train and, in some cases, not eating.
The changes were presented on Monday, 21 September, two days before racing was due to begin in Japan. Arvind Singh, a men’s lightweight double sculls silver medallist at Hangzhou 2022, was reassigned from the single sculls to the quadruple sculls. Balraj Panwar went from the quad into the single.
Navdeep Singh and Kulwinder Singh were also moved from the double into the quad, with Salman Khan and Satnam Singh moving the other way. Reports differ over the precise changes made to the men’s pair and coxless four, but agree that reserve Jasmail Singh was promoted into a racing crew.
“Some rowers have not taken food yet as they are in a disturbed state of mind. They are not knowing what to do,” an unnamed athlete told PTI on Monday.
Athletes Challenge Timing and Process
The rowers’ objections centred on the loss of established combinations after six months of preparation. Some discussed skipping Tuesday’s training or going on strike, although the squad returned to practice after talks with officials and coaches.
“Rowing is a game of coordination. You can’t just move players from one event to another and expect the coordination to be smooth,” an unnamed rower told Sportstar.
Athletes also questioned whether the alterations complied with competition rules. A senior official told PTI that up to 50 per cent of a crew could be replaced in a medical emergency. One rower told Sportstar: “No one has been injured. These changes were presented to us at the last minute without any consultation.”
Management Targets Medal Chances
India’s Australian head coach, Antony Patterson, defended the decision after the regatta was compressed from a five-day programme into two days of racing on 23 and 24 September. The revised format contains four sessions each day and no semi-finals, reducing the recovery available to rowers entered in more than one event.
“Due to the shortened regatta programme, I as the chief coach have made the decision to focus on possible medals, not individual comfort of athletes,” Patterson told The Times of India.
Rowing Federation of India president Balaji Maradapa said all countries had been allowed to revise entries after the schedule changed. He said doubling up would have placed too much physical strain on athletes across the shortened programme.
By Tuesday, officials said the standoff had been resolved and training had resumed. The revised combinations now face their first competitive test with qualifying races on Wednesday and finals scheduled for Thursday.
