Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in the men’s double sculls at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday, September 24, securing India’s first-ever medal in the event. The Indian pair clocked 6:13.25 in the final to finish behind China’s Yi Xudi and Yide Nie, who won gold, and Uzbekistan’s Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov, who took silver.
Satnam and Salman were firmly in medal contention for much of the race, staying second at the 500m, 1000m and 1500m marks. They were eventually overtaken in the closing stages, slipping to third in the final 500m, but held on to secure the bronze.
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For Salman, the medal marks his first podium finish at the Asian Games and another major step in a rowing career that began only after he joined the Indian Army. Before he found his way into the sport, Salman was driving an Uber in Delhi to support his family.
WHO IS SALMAN KHAN?
Salman Khan was born in Pure Dhingai in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district and grew up as the eldest of four brothers and two sisters. His father, Mohd Kasim Khan, worked in truck-body construction in Tauru, Haryana, where Salman completed his schooling.
His life changed when his father died of dengue when Salman was 18.
With the responsibility of supporting his younger siblings falling on him, his plans of joining the Indian Army were put on hold. Salman instead moved towards earning a living, driving an Uber cab in Delhi and working day and night to help support his family.
His Army dream eventually returned.
A friend pointed out that Salman’s height and physical build could make him suitable for the armed forces. He handed the cab over to another driver and spent four months preparing for recruitment before clearing the recruitment rally, medical and written examinations.
Salman joined the Bombay Engineer Group in Pune on September 25, 2018.
It was after joining the Army that he was introduced to rowing.
Coaches Satywan, Satish Siraat and Prabhat Mishra noticed his physical attributes and encouraged him to try the sport. Salman was initially reluctant, as rowing was not something he had planned to pursue. But his coaches persisted and eventually put him into the boat.
His first inter-centre regatta brought a silver medal, giving him confidence to continue. He went on to win medals at battalion and inter-centre competitions before clearing the ergometer benchmarks in 2021 and earning selection for the Army Rowing Node at CME Pune.
Training alongside some of India’s leading rowers helped Salman see rowing as more than something he had been encouraged to try.
He twice came close to quitting the sport, but his coaches convinced him to continue. Senior coach Kudrat Ali and Training Officer Major Nagendra Hooda were among those who guided the next stage of his development.
The results soon began to reflect that progress.
Salman won gold at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and also claimed gold at the 5th Indoor National Championship that year. In 2023, he won silver at the Senior National Championships and gold at the Open Sprint National Championships.
He also represented India at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne in 2023.
Salman was inducted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme in 2023, receiving Rs 4,09,100 in support under TOPS. He also received Rs 12,16,589 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition programme.
He won gold at the 37th National Games in Goa later that year before claiming gold at the Asian Rowing Cup in 2024. The result also earned him a promotion to the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.
His international record continued to grow, with silver medals at the Australian Rowing Championships in Tasmania and the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam in 2025. He also won gold at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand and the 42nd Senior National Rowing Championships in Bhopal that year.
The Asian Games medal was the next significant addition to that record.
WHO IS SATNAM SINGH?
Salman’s partner in the historic bronze, Satnam Singh, also arrived at rowing after starting out in another sport.
Satnam was a national-level handball player before switching to rowing in 2018. Olympian Swarn Singh Virk recognised his physical potential and encouraged him to take up the sport.
The move quickly developed into a career.
Hailing from Punjab’s Mansa district, Satnam represented India at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where he finished eighth in the men’s pair. He later established himself among India’s leading rowers and won the men’s single sculls title at the 40th Senior National Rowing Championships, becoming the first Indian Navy rower to win the event.
Satnam’s first Asian Games medal came at Hangzhou in 2023, when he was part of India’s men’s quadruple sculls crew that won bronze.
He added more international success in 2025, winning gold in the men’s quadruple sculls at the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam. He also won silver in the indoor Asian Championships in the men’s double sculls.
The pairing with Salman at Aichi-Nagoya came after India’s rowing team underwent a late reshuffle.
Satnam and Salman had initially been part of the men’s quadruple sculls crew but were moved into the double sculls, while other rowers were shifted between events. The changes came just days before the rowing competition and led to frustration among members of the Indian team.
The two adapted quickly to their new combination.
On Thursday, they stayed in the medal positions throughout most of the final before securing bronze in 6:13.25. For Satnam, it was another Asian Games medal. For Salman, it was the first. And for Indian rowing, it was a historic first in the men’s double sculls.
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