Balraj Panwar’s next Asian Games campaign will not be a solitary race down the course.
After competing in men’s single sculls at the Paris Olympics and finishing fourth at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Indian rower is now preparing for the quadruple sculls at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Beside him in India’s build-up is Babulal Yadav, a bronze medallist in men’s coxless pair at Hangzhou, who is now working towards the coxless four.
The shift, for Balraj, is not just about moving from one boat to another. It is about adjusting to rhythm, timing and the demands of a crew boat.
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“This time, our training pattern is completely different,” Balraj said during an interaction arranged by the Sports Authority of India. “According to our foreign coach, everything has changed, right from the root level. From diet to mental health, from biomechanics to practice, we are focussing on everything so that there are no shortcomings.”
The men’s team is training at the Army Rowing Node in Pune, where Australian coach Antony Patterson is working as the foreign expert. Patterson has worked with University of Tokyo as national Head Coach, and has also held roles at London Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club and the Rowing Academy in South Africa.
The routine remains demanding. The rowers wake up around 5:00 am and begin their first session at 5.30 am to avoid the heat. The morning water session is followed by weight training, stretching and conditioning later in the day, before another rowing session in the evening.
There has also been greater use of support equipment. Balraj spoke about the Speed Coach, a GPS-based rowing device that helps track distance, stroke rate, speed and power through a session. For a sport where small changes can decide medals, that data has become part of daily correction.
India won five rowing medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games: two silver and three bronze. But gold has been rare. The country has won only two Asian Games rowing gold medals so far, through Bajranglal Takhar in men’s single sculls in 2010 and the men’s quadruple sculls crew in 2018.
Babulal said the aim in Japan is to move beyond another respectable haul.
“Last time, we won five medals, three bronze and two silver,” he said. “This time, we want to change the colour of those medals.”
The preparation plan includes World Cup II exposure in Europe in June, followed by a camp in Japan around 30 to 40 days before the Asian Games to help the rowers adjust to local conditions. Babulal said the European regattas would show India where it stands against top-level crews, including Olympic medallists and leading Asian opponents.
For Balraj, the target is more personal and direct. Hangzhou left him one place short of the podium. Since then, he has added Olympic and World Cup experience, and says his strength, endurance and skill have improved.
“Last time, I finished fourth,” he said. “This time, we are preparing well. I want to bring that fourth place to number one.”
For Indian rowing, Aichi-Nagoya will be another important marker after its five-medal finish in Hangzhou.
Published on May 20, 2026