PUNE: Antony Patterson, the Australian coach who has been working at the Army Rowing Node for the past one and a half years, says the decision to switch Balraj Panwar from single scull to quadruple was aimed at enhancing India's medal chances at the Asian Games in Japan, where the rowing programme has been altered from previous editions.
Strategic Shift for Medal Maximization
“What we're looking at is the fastest possible combinations. Nothing is set in stone yet. As I said, we need to have a look at what everybody else (other competing nations) is doing,” the 60-year-old Patterson told The Times of India.
“He might end up doing single (scull), but at the moment we're giving him a bit of a break. We're looking at as many gold medals and other medals as we possibly can. We have to be smart and somewhat lucky when we finally choose what we're going for.”
Patterson is contracted with the Army Rowing Node (ARN), but with most or all of the rowers in the Indian team attached to the facility at the College of Military Engineering in Pune, the Australian practically becomes the national coach.
Balraj's Rise and the Coach's Background
Balraj made his Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in 2023 and finished a creditable fourth, having taken to the sport less than two years earlier. The 26-year-old army man from Haryana went on to secure a quota for the 2024 Olympics and later won gold at the Asian Championships. Patterson, who turned to coaching after a road accident in 1991 left him in hospital for six months, allayed concerns that the decision might have upset Balraj.
“He's an athlete, there's no problem with any of them. We try to chat with all the athletes, see if there's any problem. He's just one of these kids who is just happy to be given the opportunity,” said the Brisbane native who had guided athletes from Britain, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and Mexico besides his homeland and attended seven Olympics.
Changes in Rowing Programme and Selection Approach
In Japan, the rowing programme will not feature a couple of events in which India had traditionally won medals. Besides, Patterson's own approach has resulted in a key change. Whereas selection was done keeping in mind the best athletes available, this time athletes have been picked based on events that offer the best chance of winning a medal.
“We have selected the boat, but athletes are yet to come,” Patterson said, highlighting the flexible approach. “We can only (enter) 10 events out of 14. We've been fortunate enough to qualify for the three women's events and seven men's events. We are looking at what everyone else is doing. If they also can do only 10, they'll be thinking the same. So, this is the reason why we need to go out and compete against them to see what they're planning.”
Aiming Higher: Asian Games and Beyond
Patterson said he understood the importance attached to the Asian Games but suggested that it was high time India aimed higher. “I understand fully how important the Asian Games are for the athletes and the culture, but we were also looking at, if we do well there, what can we possibly do (from there), because I would love to have a big boat (men's eight) qualify for LA (2028 Games),” he said.
“I'm ambitious for the athletes, for the coaches, and the country. I know what can actually achieve this, and we're in a very strong place at the moment in this aspect. One thing we need to be doing is getting out and competing more on the international stage. The Chinese who are based in Turkey, they have had three international regattas already. And we need to be going out there and doing at least what they're doing.”
Upcoming Competitions and Indian Potential
Ahead of the Asian Games, India will be in action at the World Cup 2 (Bulgaria, June 12-14) and WC 3 (Switzerland, June 26-28). Patterson genuinely believes Indians could compete with the best. “Last year we were invited to Australian rowing championships, we went there with 15 athletes and came away with four gold, three silver, and one bronze. Sometimes people think the Australians are unreachable. But we showed that the Indian athletes are on par with one of the top four rowing countries in the world. We were beating their lightweight crews. I mean, we were beating their Olympians as well. Indian rowing and everyone involved came away with a lot of respect from Australia. The boys don't fear the Australian crews anymore, they're saying to me, ‘they're just humans, coach’.”
Patterson, who dabbled in cricket and rowing before eventually choosing the latter, said he looked forward to the day when India beat the Aussies and the British. “It would give great pleasure for us India, and I say 'us India', to beat Great Britain and Australia. It's like my Ashes!”
