NEWS
Dattu Bhokanal has dug wells, sold onions, waited tables, even worked at a petrol pump to provide for his family. He studied during the day and spent nights working to bring in a monthly salary of Rs 3,000, barely enough to make ends meet. After his father's death in December 2011, Bhokanal had to take on the responsibility of looking after his two younger brothers (both farmers) and ailing mother. His athletic skills landed him a job with the Indian army in 2012. Here, he was introduced to rowing by coach Kudrat Ali. Impressed with his efforts, the Army Rowing Node in Pune selected him for intensive training in 2013.
Bhokanal made an instant impact, bagging gold medals at the national championships in 2014. While he was in the US for training in 2016, he participated in the US national championship and secured a gold there too. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, he competed with a high fever to win gold as part of the 2 km quadruple scull race team.
Success has turned the soft-spoken man into a confident athlete, but there have been a hundred blows on the way. In 2014, his dream of flying came true when he travelled to the Asian Games in South Korea, but the pressure of performing at the international level got to him. He fell unconscious and failed to compete.
A back injury later would hinder his progress followed by a personal tragedy-his mother was left comatose after an accident in early 2016. She would pass away the same year.
Past obstacles have only made him stronger, he says, and helped him stay composed at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He was the only Indian to qualify in rowing. Prior to his participation, India's international rank was No. 19. Bhokanal has helped improve it to 13 with his performance in single sculls.
Hitting the waters with his oars is one way he gets over his emotional scars. Training under coach Paul Mokha has infused new energy into him. The gold medal in Jakarta was a timely reward. Apart from rowing, the kitchen is Bhokanal's favourite place to spend time. He likes to personally make coffee for his guests. His diet too has its compulsions-desi ghee is a must with every meal.
"Rowing requires a lot of investment, moneywise and good physical ability," Bhokanal says. "Unfortunately, in our country the rich are physically weak while the poor are physically strong but have no money."
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