Tokyo, Jul 25: Indian rowers Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh qualified for the semifinals of the men's lightweight double sculls repechage at the Tokyo Olympics here on Sunday.

The Indian duo clocked 6:51.36 to finish in the third place at the Sea Forest Waterway.

Poland's Jerzy Kowalski and Artur Mikolajczewski finished at the top with a timing of 6:43.44, followed by Spain's Caetano Horta Pombo and Manel Balastegui, who clocked 6:45.71 in the repechage 2.

The semifinals will be on July 27.

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Dubai: The Kannadigas Helpline team organised a virtual meeting to review the current situation in the UAE and gather information about stranded Kannadigas to share with the Karnataka government.

The meeting was led by non-resident businessman and advocate for non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs), Dr. Ronald Colaco. Addressing participants, Dr. Colaco said the UAE remains safe and expressed confidence that normalcy would return soon. He urged Kannadigas to follow guidelines issued by UAE authorities and cooperate with local officials.

Dr. Colaco also announced his readiness to bear the expenses required to maintain an emergency support system for tourists facing distress. He appealed to the Karnataka government to announce an emergency relief grant to assist affected individuals.

Legislative Council member S.L. Bojegowda, who is currently in Dubai, said clarity on the evolving situation is expected shortly. He stated that Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been requested to sanction an emergency relief fund of Rs 2 crore to support distressed Kannadigas. According to him, the Minister has assured that the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister.

Dr. Aarthi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian Committee and MLC, said she remains in constant contact with Gulf embassies and non-resident Kannadigas in the region. She added that updates are being regularly shared with the Karnataka government and that she is extending full cooperation to the Kannadigas Helpline team.

Karnataka NRI Forum President Praveen Shetty said non-resident Kannadigas in the UAE are safe and that local authorities have implemented necessary safety measures. He urged people not to panic or circulate unverified information on social media.

Hidayat Addur, Coordinator of the Kannadigas Helpline and BCCI UAE President, said the team is working round-the-clock to assist stranded individuals, including facilitating access to medical services when required.

Karnataka Sangha Dubai President Shashidhar Nagarajappa assured that helpline volunteers are available across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman to support Kannadigas in need.

Several community leaders and representatives participated in the meeting, including Daya Kirodian, Chandru Lingadalli, Mallikarjuna Gowda, Imran Khan, Shweta Jadhav, Manohar Hegde, Nagaraja Rao, Samad Birali, Salim Moodubidire, Samshuddin Piligudu, Rock Karnataka Sangh President Ramesh Rangappa and Kannada Pathashale Dubai representative Girish Worate.