Pune, Jan 31 Manipur women proved to be a dominant force pushing top-spots in three events even as the armed forces men – Services and Army – were a force to reckon with in the semifinal round of the 41th Senior and 25th Open Sprint National Rowing Championship at the Army Rowing Node situated in the College of Military Engineering (CME) campus, on Wednesday.
The North-East eves booked spots in the finals of lightweight double sculls which had the duo of Poonam and Rukhmani clock 08 minutes and 29.3 seconds. Similarly, in the coxless pairs event it was the Kaurs’ - Gurbani and Diljot with an effort of 9:16.4 who topped the day. The third final came when the double sculls pair of Thangjam Priya Devi and Haobijam Devi came home with a 08:46.6 effort.
The day also had Mrunmayee Salgaoncakar keep Maharashtra’s hopes alive when she brought in a 09:40.6 effort to win her single sculls semi final.
In the men’s section, host’s Services reached five finals (even as the event pushed into sundown), while Army booked three final berths.
Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallists and Services lads Jaswinder, Bheema and Puneet, Ashish showed just why they are a dominant force winning the men’s coxless fours with absolute ease.
Likewise, Services made it to the coxed eights, double sculls, lightweight double sculls, quadruple sculls and single sculls event finals with defending champion Salman Khan finishing first in his semifinal with a timing of 08:32.1.
The Army oarsmen highlighted their dominance with Asian Games pair Babu Lal Yadav and Lekh Ram making it a no sweat day in the coxless pairs with a 07:56.2effort to make the finals. In fact the event also had the Army dominate the Services.
The other finals that the Army made were the coxed eights and double sculls.
Among the other exciting races was the faceoff between two Olympians - Balraj Panwar who represented India at Hangzhou and Rio Olympian Dattu Baban Bhokanal, which ended in Balraj push aside the challenge of Dattu in the singles sculls event to make it to the finals.
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