SUBEDAR SANGWAN MARTYERED IN SOUTH SUDAN

Rowing Star Sangwan Succumbs to Rebel Bullets in S SudanBy Express News Service - HYDERABAD Published: 22nd December 2013 01:38 AM Last Updated: 22nd December 2013 01:38 AM There was a pall of gloom at the Rowing academy at the banks of Hussain Sagar here on Saturday as one of their favourite rowers Dharmesh Sangwan fell prey to bullets of the rebel forces at Kango in South Sudan while serving for the UN Peace keeping force. Dharmesh Sangwan A subedar in Indian Army, Sangwan was a silver medallist in 2006 Doha Asian Games and also winner of gold medals in the Asian Championships in Hyderabad and Korea. Thirty-two-year-old Sangwan had joined the Hyderabad camp way back in 2001 along with Asian Games gold medallist Bajranglal Thakar and Rakesh. Showing a lot of promise, Sangwan impressed the coaches with his hard work and technique. “He was very talented and worked hard in the waters,” said coach Ismail Baig. Sangwan was a quiet person and a very disciplined sportsperson. “He never used to miss any practice session. He was a star rower of the Indian rowing team from 2003 to 2009,” said Baig. Importantly, he never missed any national tournaments. His first medal in the nationals came in 2004 Nationals at Chandigarh and one year later, he was member of the Indian team that won gold medals, Coxless four and eight in the Asian Championship in Hussain Sagar. His big moment came in the Doha Asian Games in 2006 when for the first time Indian rowers won a silver in coxless four. Sangwan was a member of that team. Sangwan had opportunity to participate in the World Championship at Germany and Poland. His last big medal in an international event was in the 11th Asian Championship at Korea when he won gold in pairs event and silver in coxless eight. However, after that Sangwan decided to quit the camp and leave for Delhi to serve in the Rajputana Rifles. CP Singh Deo, former president of Rowing Federation of India (RFI), said in Delhi that Sangwan became a coach and administrator of Delhi Rowing Association. But his coaching stint came to a grinding halt as he succumbed to bullets in Sudan. The RFI held a condolence meeting at the camp here