Paris Olympics: Four years after taking his first stroke, Balraj Panwar readies for single-sculls quarterfinal

Paris Olympics: Balraj Panwar readies for single-sculls quarterfinal (X/IIS_Vijayanagar)

Even half a decade ago, the idea of taking part in an Olympic Games against some of the world’s elite single-sculls rowers would have seemed laughable to Balraj Panwar, who had joined the army as a sepoy to sustain himself and his family. Now, after finishing second in his repechage heat on Sunday, Balraj finds himself in the quarterfinals, up against 23 world-class rowers, most of whom have been on the water for close to two decades or more.

At the Asian and Oceania Qualification Regatta in April, Balraj needed to finish in the top five to seal an Olympic berth. For three-fourths of the race, he set the pace, before falling away to finish third behind Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Yakovlev and Indonesia’s La Memo. At the Olympic rowing venue in Vaires-sur-Marne, east of Paris, Balraj beat Yakovlev by more than 14 seconds in his heat, while finishing fourth. In the repechage, he was seven seconds faster than Memo.

Of those that have made the four quarterfinal heats – each will feature six rowers – Balraj has the slowest time after Hong Kong’s Chiu Hin Chun. Chances of a medal, or even a semi-final spot, are next to nil, but the very fact that Balraj finished just 5.32 seconds behind Stefanos Ntouskos, the reigning Olympic champion, in his opening heat tells you so much about the potential he has.

As recently as the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September last year, Balraj had finished behind Yakovlev in both the heats and the semi-final. In the final, he beat him by more than 12 seconds while taking fourth. If that sort of progression can be maintained, Balraj’s Olympic best may lie four years in the future.

For now, though, there is still a remarkable story to savour. A studious boy from rural Haryana, he lost his father at the age of 10. Kamala, his mother, worked every kind of daily-wage job she could find to bring up Balraj and his four siblings. The army, and a posting in Roorkee, were both an escape and an opportunity. After impressing the first time he ventured into a boat, he was transferred to Pune, where the focus was on honing his raw potential.

Dattu Bhokanal, his predecessor from Maharashtra, managed a silver at the Asian Rowing Championship in 2015. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, he qualified third in his heat and then placed fourth in the quarterfinal. He went on to win the C final to finish overall 13th. Bhokanal was 25 then. Balraj turned 25 on Friday. Even if he can emulate the achievement of Bhokanal, it would be a huge fillip for Indian rowing.