Dattu Bhokanal wants to ‘speed up’ Rio preparations

‘Increasing my speed’ is on top of his mind for rower Dattu Bhokanal, who will be competing at his first Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Indian rowers have not made much of a mark at the Olympics. But the rookie sculler is leaving no stone unturned to make his debut Games ‘memorable’.

Raring to go, Dattu told this paper: “I am training hard with the focus being on increasing speed, for which I am devoting an extra hour in the gym and strengthening my muscles.”

Asked whom he looks up to for inspiration, Dattu said, “I am my own inspiration as I take care of my timings and try to improve on them every single time I train. I judge for myself as to when and what I have to change in my training patterns, technicalities or fitness regime.”

Dattu, hailing from a small village in Maharashtra, became the only Indian rower to qualify for the multi-sport extravaganza with a silver medal in the men’s singles skulls at the Fisa Asian/Oceania Olympic qualification (Regatta) in April.

He will head to the USA for training on June 20 before reaching Rio de Jeniero.

“I will train in Miami to acclimatise to the weather and the conditions there which are similar to Rio,” said the Armyman.

The yellow fever caused by the Zika virus has been a cause of worry for most in Brazil but Dattu is unfazed by the threat it poses.

Indeed, a lot has gone in getting Dattu to Rio where he can have a shot at ultimate glory. He took up rowing rather than shooting which has been a trend for army personnel.

“My coach and mentor Subedar Kudrat Ali directed me to take up rowing as, according to him, my height and physique were best suited for this sport. He was the one who taught me rowing.”

Still, taking up a sport, especially a water sport like rowing must have been hard to even think of in a drought-hit village where Dattu hails from. “There is a severe water crisis in our village so rowing was not possible there. It was only when I joined the Army that I learnt it eventually,” he explained.

Moreover, Dattu has come a long way since the time he had a terrible water phobia. “First I brought changes in my thought process and tried to get rid of water phobia. Then I learnt swimming before focusing on rowing.

“Now it really feels different to be at this stage of my life where I am about to compete at the Olympics.” he added.