Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Nagoya, September 24: Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan secured a bronze medal in the men’s double sculls at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, adding another medal to India’s tally in the ongoing continental competition.

The Indian pair produced a determined performance in the 2,000-metre race and remained in contention for a podium finish throughout the event. During the opening 1,000 metres, Satnam and Salman were seen trying to close the gap on the leading crews from Uzbekistan and China as the race developed into a closely contested battle.

With around 500 metres remaining, the Indian duo briefly moved ahead of the Uzbek crew and appeared to be in a strong position to challenge for a higher finish. However, they were unable to maintain that advantage during the final stretch and eventually crossed the finish line in third place.

Satnam Singh and Salman Khan completed the race in 6 minutes 13.25 seconds to claim the bronze medal. China’s crew of Xudi Yi and Yide Li dominated the final stages and secured the gold medal with a time of 6:09.77. Uzbekistan’s Pavel Sorin and Mekhrozzbek Mamatkulov finished in 6:10.49 to take the silver medal.

The bronze marked another podium finish for India in rowing at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The performance also reflected the competitiveness of the Indian pair, who remained within striking distance of the medal positions throughout the race.

Earlier in the day, Indian rower Balraj Panwar narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s singles sculls final. Panwar remained in second position until the final 500 metres of the 2,000-metre race and was initially in contention for a podium finish.

However, the Indian rower could not maintain his position during the decisive closing stage. Uzbekistan’s Shakhboz Kholmurzaev and Japan’s Tatsuya Sakurama moved past Panwar in the final stretch. Kholmurzaev completed the race in 6:41.83 to secure the silver medal, while Sakurama finished in 6:46.78 to claim bronze.

China’s Zhiwei Deng produced the fastest performance in the final, finishing the race in 6:38.98 and taking the gold medal. Panwar eventually crossed the finish line in fourth place with a time of 6:54.80.

Although Panwar missed out on the podium, his strong performance during the early and middle stages of the race kept him in medal contention until the closing phase. The final result, however, saw him finish just outside the medal positions.

The rowing results added another bronze medal to India’s growing medal haul at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. With the latest medals, India’s overall tally in the ongoing continental competition has reached 13, comprising one gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.

India is currently placed 14th on the medal table. The country’s athletes will continue competing across various disciplines in the coming days, with further medal opportunities expected as the Asian Games progress.