Arvind Singh moved from the single sculls to the quadruple, rattling the Indian rowing squad.
Balraj Panwar, who had been polishing his technique for the quad, now takes the single, while the men’s pair of Saurav Kumar and Vipul Satish will be swapped out for Nitin Kumar and Jaswinder Singh.
An official noted that a 50 per cent crew can be altered in emergencies, yet the breadth of this week’s shuffle raised eyebrows. Coach Antony Patterson said the changes were forced by a compressed schedule after heavy rains.
A rower, speaking anonymously, slammed the lack of consultation: “They didn’t ask us; we’re left stunned and sleepless.” The mood is tense, with some athletes skipping meals in shock.
The regatta kicks off Wednesday at Nagaragawa, and the team vows to set aside the drama, channel the anger into performance, and chase medals for the country.