Bajrang Lal Thakkar script history for India in Asiad

Army officer Bajrang Lal Thakkar scripted history by winning the first ever gold in rowing for India in the men’s single sculls event at Asian Games in China on Friday.

Indian duo Pratima Puhana and Pramila Minz also added a new chapter claiming bronze in pair event as they became first Indian women to win a medal in the rowing event.

With the addition of a gold and a bronze, India’s medal tally rose to two gold, seven silver and nine bronze on Friday.

The first gold came from cueist Pankaj Advani.

Thakkar all along led the 2000m race to take the yellow metal with a timing of 7:04.78 leaving Chinese Taipei’s Wang Ming Hui (7:07.33) and Iraq’s Haeider Hamarasheid (7:10.10) to share silver and bronze respectively.

He had won silver medal in the Doha Asian Games in 2006, and gold in the Asian Championships in Korea last year.

Indian rowers have been on high to keep the tri-colour flying in China for the past two days after settling for two sliver medals in the men’s four and men’s lightweight four events respectively onThursday.

The men’s four team of Anil Kumar, Saji Thomas, Ranjit Singh and Jenil Krishnan won silver in 200 metre finishing with a timing of 6:16.79, while in the men’s lightweight four event final, Lokesh Kumar, Manjeet Singh, Rajesh Kumar Yadav and Satish Joshi came second clocking 6:13.32.

The women’s four team of Monalisa Khumanthem, Rameshwori Devi, Tababi Devi and Shruti Kamath, however, disappointed with fifth position.