Asian junior championship: ‘Unlucky’ Hassan slumps to sixth-place finish

Pakistan’s top rower gives away lead on final day in Taiwan.

KARACHI: Pakistan finished sixth in the overall standings as the country’s top rower Hassan Currimbhoy slumped to the sixth spot at the 2014 Asian Juniors Rowing Championship in Yi-Lan, Taiwan on Sunday.

Hassan, who was appearing for the second time at the championship, was leading the competition in the boy’s single scull category till Friday, but slid on the final day to give away the lead. He had secured the top position in the qualification race for the final with eight minutes and 47 seconds.

Before leaving for Yi-Lan, the teenager said he was aiming to finish among the top 10 rowers.

“We were rather unlucky on the final day,” Pakistan Rowing Federation (PRF) vice-president Abdul Rahim Babia told The Express Tribune. “Hassan was in top form, but it was just not his day. He was leading the pack and made his mark among the best rowers in Asia.

“I still have faith in our rowers. They did their best and hopefully their experience at the championship will benefit them to improve future results.”

Hong Kong’s Yuk-man Chan took the title in seven minutes and 39.2 seconds, while Uzbekistan’s Shakhbo Kholmurzaev secured second place and Japan’s Naoki Takada finished third. Hassan clocked eight minutes to finish sixth in the 2,000m race.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Aleena Abid and Salma Rabia Arif finished ninth in the girl’s double scull event.

“The girls were a surprise for us,” said Babai. “They performed better than our expectations. It was their first big event and we’re amazed by the way the delivered.”

The team was accompanied by manager Haroon Khokar and will return to Karachi on Tuesday.

The players trained for a month-and-a-half for the championship at the Karachi Boat Club. They also received training from the International Rowing Federation in Taiwan a week before the competition.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2014.

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