Asian Games rowing: Satnam-Salman claim bronze in double sculls, Balraj fourth in singles
Synopsis
India's Satnam Singh and Salman Khan surged from third to second before being edged back to a bronze in the double sculls at the Nagaragawa Regatta Course in Gifu — a gritty finish that adds to Satnam's second Asian Games medal. Balraj Panwar's agonising fourth-place finish in singles, separated from bronze by a razor-thin margin in the final 500 metres, captures the fine line between podium glory and heartbreak.
Key Takeaways
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in men's double sculls at the Asian Games in Gifu with a time of 6:13.25 .
China's Xudi Yi and Yide Nie took gold ( 6:09.77 ); Uzbekistan's Sorin and Mamatkulov won silver ( 6:10.49 ).
Balraj Panwar narrowly missed a medal in men's single sculls, finishing fourth in 6:54.80 — edged out in the final 500 metres by Uzbekistan's Shakhboz Kholmurzaev .
This is Satnam Singh's second Asian Games medal , having also won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games in the quadruple sculls.
Salman Khan , from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh , is a TOPS athlete and holds the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army .
Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan clinched a bronze medal in the men's double sculls at the Asian Games on Thursday, clocking 6:13.25 at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Gifu. Meanwhile, Balraj Panwar narrowly missed the podium in the men's single sculls final, finishing fourth with a time of 6:54.80.
Double Sculls: India's Comeback Bronze
Satnam and Salman trailed Uzbekistan and China at the 1,000-metre halfway mark, occupying the bronze medal position. The Indian duo surged impressively, moving into second place with 500 metres remaining, before being overtaken in the closing stages to ultimately finish third.
China's Xudi Yi and Yide Nie claimed gold with a time of 6:09.77, while Uzbekistan's Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov took silver in 6:10.49.
Satnam's Asian Games Legacy
This marks Satnam Singh's second Asian Games medal. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, he was part of the Indian men's quadruple sculls crew that won bronze — a feat made more remarkable by the fact that he overcame a physical setback during an earlier race at those Games to help India secure a podium finish. His resilience across two editions underlines his standing as one of Indian rowing's most dependable performers.
Salman Khan's Rise From Amethi
Hailing from Amethi district in Uttar Pradesh, Salman Khan has risen through elite support structures to reach the Asian Games podium. He was inducted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), granting him access to elite training and sports science resources. A year after that induction, he won a medal at the Asian Rowing Cup — an achievement that also earned him a promotion to the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.
Balraj Panwar: So Close to the Podium
In the men's single sculls, Balraj Panwar was in the silver medal position at the halfway mark, just behind China's Zhiwei Deng. With 500 metres to go, Uzbekistan's Shakhboz Kholmurzaev — separated from Balraj by only a slim margin — edged ahead, pushing the Indian rower off the podium.
Deng eventually won gold in 6:38.98, with Kholmurzaev taking silver in 6:41.83 and Japan's Tatsuya Sakurama claiming bronze in 6:46.78. Balraj's fourth-place finish at 6:54.80 was agonisingly close to a medal-winning run.
India's Rowing Momentum at the Asian Games
The results add to India's growing credibility in Asian rowing. This comes amid increased government investment in Olympic pathway sports through TOPS and the broader Khelo India framework. With Paris 2024 and the next Olympics cycle in view, performances like these serve as benchmarks for selection and further funding. India's rowing contingent will look to convert near-podium finishes into medals at the next major international event.
Point of View
Backed by Salman's structured TOPS-to-podium trajectory, is the kind of quiet progress Indian Olympic planners should be building on. But Balraj's fourth place in singles is a sharper story: he had the silver medal position at the 500-metre mark and lost it not to a dominant rival but to a narrow, late surge. That is the difference between a pipeline producing results and one producing nearly-men. The TOPS framework funded Salman's breakthrough; the question is whether it is calibrating finish-line execution as sharply as it is building fitness and technique.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the bronze in men's double sculls at the Asian Games 2026?
India's Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won the bronze medal in the men's double sculls at the Asian Games, finishing in a time of 6:13.25 at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Gifu.
How did Balraj Panwar perform in the men's single sculls final?
Balraj Panwar finished fourth in the men's single sculls final with a time of 6:54.80, narrowly missing the bronze medal. He was in silver medal position at the halfway mark but was overtaken by Uzbekistan's Shakhboz Kholmurzaev in the final 500 metres.
Is this Satnam Singh's first Asian Games medal?
No, this is Satnam Singh's second Asian Games medal. He previously won a bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games as part of the Indian men's quadruple sculls crew, a feat achieved despite overcoming a physical setback during the same Games.
What is the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and how did it help Salman Khan?
TOPS is a Government of India programme that provides elite athletes with access to world-class training, sports science support, and international competition exposure. Salman Khan, from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, was inducted into TOPS and subsequently won a medal at the Asian Rowing Cup, which also earned him a promotion to Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.
Who won gold and silver in the men's double sculls at the Asian Games?
China's Xudi Yi and Yide Nie won gold in a time of 6:09.77, while Uzbekistan's Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov claimed silver in 6:10.49 in the men's double sculls event at the Asian Games in Gifu.
