Indian rower Satnam Singh believes India’s historic bronze medal in the men’s Double Sculls at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya has not only ended a long wait but also opened a new chapter for rowing in the country.
“The paths that had been blocked have now opened. We can now hope that we will win more medals in this event in the future and perform even better,” Satnam told SAI on Thursday.
Since the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, India had never won a medal in the men’s Double Sculls event. Punjab-based Satnam, partnering Salman Khan, ended that drought by securing bronze with a time of 6:13.25 at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course.
The medal was Satnam’s second Asian Games medal, following his bronze in the Quadruple Sculls event at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
“The experience is also very important. When a player is new, there is naturally pressure in competition. As you continue playing, your experience increases, your confidence grows and the fear starts to reduce. That is very important for an athlete,” he added.
European exposure helping Indian rowers bridge the gap:
Satnam believes that the evolving support structure for Indian rowing has played a crucial role in bringing the country’s rowers closer to the world’s leading nations.
Among the biggest changes, he highlighted the opportunity to train and compete in Europe under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The exposure allowed Indian rowers to compete against some of the strongest teams in the world ahead of the Asian Games and assess their progress at the highest level.
“This was the first time we had camps in Europe. We also got the opportunity to race against some of the world’s top-class countries before the Asian Games. That gave us a chance to understand our level against the best,” Satnam explained. “Earlier, we were much further behind. But now, when we race against European countries, we are finishing around three to four seconds behind them.
“As the coaches continue to support us, new things and new technology are coming into the sport, and we are continuing to work. Because of that, Indian rowing is progressing significantly,” the 26-year-old Indian Navy man added.
Eyes on Los Angeles 2028 Olympics:
With the focus now shifting towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Satnam is determined to build on the momentum generated by India’s recent progress in rowing.
“At the moment, we are very hopeful about the Los Angeles Olympics. The effort will be to qualify in as many events as possible. If we look at India in the past, we were not at this level. But now, as I said, we are racing against European countries and finishing only around three to four seconds behind them.
“Earlier, we were much further behind. But as the coaches continue to support us, new things and new technology come into the sport, and we keep working, we are progressing a lot in rowing. We are hopeful that going forward, we can also win gold at the Asian Games. We will always keep trying for that. And for the Olympics, our hope is to participate and go all the way to the final,” Satnam Singh told SAI .
(Inputs from SAI)
