India have added another rowing medal to its Asian Games 2026 tally as Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in the men’s double sculls on Thursday.
The Indian pair delivered a strong performance in the Final A to finish on the podium at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course, adding another medal to India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Satnam and Salman had booked their place in the medal race after finishing second in their heat. The duo clocked 6:15.63 in the heats to secure their place in the final.
In the final, they started strongly and finished in the podium position. China won the gold medal while Uzbekistan clinched the silver.
Who is Satnam Singh?
Born on July 5, 2000, Satnam Singh is an Indian rower associated with the Indian Navy. Standing at 187 cm, he has competed for India in several international sculling events.
Satnam has steadily established himself in India’s rowing setup. He won the men’s single sculls title at the Senior National Championships in 2025 and subsequently played a role in India’s success at the Asian Rowing Championships.
He was part of the Indian men’s quadruple sculls crew that won gold at the 2025 Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam, alongside Kulwinder Singh, Navdeep Singh and Jakar Khan.
Salman Khan’s journey from cab driver to Asian Games medallist
Born on August 15, 1998, Salman is an Indian Army rower from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district. He joined the Indian Army’s 122 Engineering Regiment in 2018.
Before establishing himself as a rower, Salman faced significant financial challenges. Following his father’s death, he had to help support his family and worked as an Uber cab driver.
His journey into rowing began through the Army, where coaches encouraged him to take up the sport. After winning a silver medal at his first inter-centre regatta, Salman began pursuing rowing seriously. His breakthrough came in 2021, when he cleared the ergometer benchmarks and was selected for the Army Rowing Node at CME Pune.
Salman went on to win gold at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat and a Senior Nationals gold in the single sculls in 2023, where he defeated Olympian Dattu Bhokanal.
India get Bronze after crew changes
The bronze medal also came after changes to India’s rowing combinations before the Asian Games.
Satnam and Salman had initially been part of India’s men’s quadruple sculls setup but were moved into the double sculls following a reshuffle of the crews. Despite the late changes, the pair adapted to the new combination and produced a podium finish.