A watery grave for India’s aqua hopes

Indian rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal finished fourth in the quarterfinals of the men’s single sculls to be out of medal reckoning in the Rio Olympic Games here on Tuesday.

Bhokanal clocked 6:59.89 to cover a distance of 2000m, little more than six seconds behind the third and last qualifier from the quarter-final 4, Natan Wegrzycki-Szymczyk (6:53.52) from Poland.

Croatia’s Damir Martin, the London Olympics silver medallist, won the quarter-final with a far superior timing of 6:44.44, ahead of second-placed Alan Campbell (6:49.41).

Armyman Bhokanal, whose ailing mother is an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in India, had clocked 7:21.67s in the Heats.

He commenced strongly and was second going past the 500metre mark but then gradually slowed down to lose his chance of advancing.

Bhokanal, the lone rower in fray from India, will now have to fight for the minor placings.

Swimmers Sajan, Shivani finish 41st & 28th Young swimmers Sajan Prakash and Shivani Kataria expectedly made inglorious exits in their respective events on Monday.

Sajan finished 41st in terms of timing amongst 43 swimmers who participated in the 200m Butterfly heats.

Shivani finished 28th out of 29 swimmers in the 200m freestyle finishing 2nd among 3rd in her heat.

Sajan finished a disappointing fourth out of five swimmers in his 200 metres butterfly event.