11th National Dragon Boat Racing Championship: Delhi Lifts Trophy, But the Ride Hasn’t Been Easy

Over 700 participants from 15 states competed in the 11th National Dragon Boat Racing Championship, that took place in Udupi, Karnataka, from February 22 to February 26.

The event has long, decorated boats, propelled by pedals, taking part in the dragon boat races. It is among water sports that are witnessing the fastest global growth and has been celebrated as a symbol of culture in many states, mainly in South India.

The event was organised by the Udupi district administration in collaboration with the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association.

There were a total of 27 other teams competing. Delhi was represented in the Dragon Boat Racing Championship by 50 athletes, 30 of whom were from the Sonia Vihar Water Sports Club. The Delhi team won the Senior competition with 57 points and 10 medals, and the Junior competition with 40 points combined scoring the highest points in the competition.

Delhi won eight gold medals, five silver medals, and four bronze medals, making it their most successful year in terms of medals.

Even at 4 o'clock in the evening, when the sun was still blazing, the players appeared to be giving it their all. While some of them practiced on the boat, the majority of them did cardio exercises with the coach, Sanjeet Paswan.

After noticing the scene, one would not have known that these athletes had just taken home a national trophy for their state. For, apart from a few workout machines, everything else seemed in a pathetic condition. There were no washrooms, athletes had to change in an old hut with no electricity, and all the practice boats were stuffed in a container.

When Manjeet Singh Shekhawat, the head coach, entered the arena, all the players greeted him and asked them to resume their practice. Singh then sat down on one of the benches and began this interview.

"The feeling is great. We've been participating since the second edition. This was the 11th edition; we've won 17 medals this year; the tally was seven last year, so we've been constantly improving as well,” he told this writer.

Her said it took them 10 years bring the trophy home, “What makes it special is that this is a hard-earned win. Before the tournament, we didn't even know if we'd be able to perform as well or not because of a certain lack of resources, but my children have overcome all," he said.

His joy, however, did not last long, when he heard the next question: “Does this win open up a lot of opportunities for the players and the game?”

Looking pensive, Shekhawat said: “The popularity of this sport in the country is still low. It's quite popular in European countries, but the sport is growing slowly in India, and it'll be a long time before my answer changes to ‘yes’.”

On the positive side, the players do get an additional benefit while applying for government jobs and will also be rewarded with the scholarship in the upcoming months,” he said.

When asked how he would rate the whole journey throughout the championship, Shekhawat said: “The journey has been extremely difficult. From the start, we faced numerous challenges. We didn't think we'd be able to win the championship because we lacked the necessary resources and financial backing to compete at such a high level."

On the financial constraints, the head coach said: "It cost us around Rs 2.5 lakh throughout the competitions. All of the money was arranged by the players, support staff, and myself; some people were unable to contribute, and I myself paid the competition fees for around two players.”

“To move the boat, we didn't have the traditional carbon paddles used in races; instead, we used wooden makeshift paddles. We didn't have the 20-seater boat, so we practised on the 10-seater boat we had before the championship, and the worst thing that could have happened was that our coach, Sanjeet Paswan, had lost his nephew in the boat a few months before, so for him to return to the sport and play an important role in our victory was truly admirable,” he said.

Sanjeet Paswan, the coach, described how he had decided to give up on the game after losing his nephew in November while out practicing. “My nephew was just 16 years old when he drowned. We searched for the body for three days before we found it. This incident made me want to give up on the game. It was my friends and family who helped me get back into the game and decide to coach the kids at Sonia Vihar Sports Club,” Paswan said.

When discussing the issues, Paswan explains that the children had to practice with wooden paddles that were harder than the traditional carbon paddles because they were too expensive to afford.

“A carbon paddle costs around Rs 25,000, so we used to make wooden paddles to steer the boat. However, the wooden paddles became heavier after being in the water, soaked up water, and became extremely difficult to move after a certain period of time, but the kids still practiced realising our situation,” he said.

Paswan recalled how their team borrowed carbon paddles from other teams to participate, and how they used to ask the officials for 20-seater boats just an hour before the game to get a feel before the game.

“I haven't received my salary in a few months. Only when all of the students pay fees do we get our salaries, but what keeps us going is the amount of hard work these kids put in,” Paswan added.

However, despite all the restrictions, the players seemed confident and determined to achieve their goals.

Annu, who's studying in the ninth grade, comes from a humble background - her father is an auto-rickshaw driver and the sole breadwinner for the family of four people.

She practiced at the Sonia Vihar sports club for the last 10 months and was a part of nine victories out of 17. She shared her journey and how people used to tell her that canoeing requires a lot of physical strength, which isn't appropriate for a girl.

"Many people told me that canoeing isn't a girl's sport and that I should try other sports like badminton, but what they don't realise is that sport doesn't care about gender and that I can outperform any male candidate in any sport. It's not about them; it's about what I want to do and how I'm going to do it, and my victories prove it,” she said.

Rahul Kumar, who skipped his ninth-grade exams to compete in the championship, said it was all thanks to his coach's encouragement that he won bronze in the 11th edition of the dragon boat racing championship.

"I lacked the financial resources to participate on such a large scale as my mother's a housewife and father is a daily wage labourer dealing in construction materials we barely manage to make ends meet," he said. Kumar goes on to say that my interest in the sport started when I got to know that I can get government jobs and scholarships through the sport.

“Manjeet sir came to my aid, paying my registration fees and guiding me throughout. My parents have always done their best, but in the last year, our coaches have stepped in whenever needed, and I hope to repay them by winning many more medals for them in the future,” Kumar concluded.

Abhishek Kumar Mishra narrates the experience of the warm welcome he received upon his return home, especially from his parents. “My father works in a shop in Chandni Chowk and very seldom do we get such moments in our lives.”

"The pride they felt in telling everyone that “Humara beta medal jeet ke aaya hai" (our son had won a medal in the championship) was unparalleled. We even had a small celebration thrown for us,” Mishra shared.

“Apart from the recognition, this victory gives us hope that we're on the right track and that our efforts over the last year have not gone unnoticed. We still have a lot to work on, but none of this would have been possible without proper equipment, training, and a lot of restraint. We'll be unstoppable once we get the right opportunities,” concluded Mishra.

The writer is a freelancer.