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Asian Games 2023, Day 2: Indian Rowers Shine With Double Bronze Victory

The quadruple skulls foursome advanced from fourth to third position in the closing 500 metres of the 2000-meter race.

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India At 2023 Asian Games
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Indian rowers completed two comebacks to close the day with two bronze medals, bringing their total tally in the watersport to five medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Monday. (Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Day 2 Blog)

The day started with Jaswinder Singh, Bheem Singh, Punit Kumar, and Ashish Goliyan narrowly missing out on silver in the men's fours event. 

The men's quadruple sculls team of Satnam Singh, Parminder Singh, Jakar Khan, and Sukhmeet Singh finished third on the podium in 6:08.61 seconds, trailing Uzbekistan (6:04.64) and China (6:02.65). 

The quadruple skulls foursome advanced from fourth to third position in the closing 500 metres of the 2000-meter race.

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In the men's four event, too, after finishing fourth in the final 500m of the 2000m race, the foursome displayed great cooperation to finish third with 6:10.81s, just a fraction of a second ahead of China (6:10.04). 

Uzbekistan finished first on the podium with a time of 6:04.96. 

Balraj Panwar, an Indian rower, finished fourth in the men's single sculls, missing out on his first Asian Games podium. 

The 24-year-old Karnal native, who was in the top three in the 1500m, stumbled in the final 500m to finish fourth in 7:08.79s. 

He finished fewer than nine seconds behind the bronze medalist, Hong Kong's Hin Chun Chiu (7:00.55).

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Liang Zang of China won gold in 6:57.06, while Japan's Ryuta Arakawa (6:59.79) and Hong Kong's Hin Chun Chiu took silver and bronze, respectively. 

The Indian oarswomen disappointed the most, placing last in the five-team field of the women's eight with a time of 7:05.71s, well behind China, who won gold with a time of 6:33.61. 

Sonali Swain, Ritu Kaudi, Priya Devi Thangjam, Varsha Kattathara, Aswathi Padinjarayil, Mrunmayee Salgaonkar, Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam, Rukmani, and Geetanjali Gurugubelli led the Indian squad. 

Thailand finished more than 15 seconds ahead of the Indians in fourth place.

Rowers from India have now earned two silver and three bronze medals. 

On Sunday, India won two silver and one bronze medal.

(With PTI inputs)

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