Balraj Panwar secures India's first quota in rowing for Paris Olympics

Balraj Panwar secures India's first Paris Olympics quota in rowing at the 2024 World Asian and Oceanian Olympic Qualification Regatta.

Balraj Panwar secured India's first Paris Olympics quota in rowing by finishing third in the men's single scull event of the 2024 World Asian and Oceanian Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regetta in Chungju, South Korea on April 21.

The 25-year-old Indian Army rower, who narrowly missed out on a bronze in his maiden appearance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last year, clocked 7:01.27 minutes to finish third in the 2000 m race and seal the quota.

In the men's single scull, the top five make the Olympics cut.

India failed to qualify for the men's lightweight double sculls, an event the country participated in at the last Olympics in Tokyo. In an event where the top-two earn the quota, the Indian duo of Ujjwal Kumar and Arvind Singh finished third.

India will have a solitary entry in rowing at the quadrennial extravaganza slated from July 26.

Arjun Lal and Arvind Singh represented the country in men's lightweight double scull at the Tokyo Olympics and returned with an 11th place finish. The Asian Qualifiers were held simultaneously with the Asian Rowing Cup where India won a gold medal courtesy the duo of Salman Khan and Nitin Deol in men's double scull event.

A day after their achievement, Panwar, who hails from Karnal in Haryana, put up a dominant show after a slow start.