New Delhi, 08 October (H.S.): Indian rower Satnam Singh believes that the historic bronze medal he won in the men’s double sculls at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games represents far more than the end of a long wait for India. He sees the achievement as the beginning of a new chapter that could open fresh avenues for rowing in the country.

Speaking to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) media on Thursday, Satnam said, “The paths that were closed until now have opened. We can now hope to win more medals in this event in the future and perform even better.”

Since the Asian Games began in 1951, India had never won a medal in the men’s double sculls event. Satnam, from Punjab, partnered Salman Khan to secure India’s first-ever medal in the discipline. The duo clocked 6 minutes 13.25 seconds at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course to claim the bronze medal.

It was Satnam’s second Asian Games medal. He had previously won a bronze in the quadruple sculls at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Satnam said competing consistently at the international level helps athletes build confidence and reduces pressure.

“Experience is also very important. When an athlete is new, there is naturally pressure in competition. As you continue competing, your experience grows, your confidence increases and the fear gradually diminishes. That is very important for any athlete,” he said.

Satnam believes that the changing support and training structure in Indian rowing has played a major role in bringing the country’s rowers closer to the world’s leading teams. According to him, opportunities to train and compete in Europe under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) have been a major factor behind this transformation.

“This was the first time we held training camps in Europe. We also got the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s top teams before the Asian Games. This allowed us to assess our level against the best teams in the world,” he said.

“Earlier, we were quite far behind. But now, when we compete against European countries, we are finishing races only around three to four seconds behind them. As the coaches continue to support us, new elements and techniques are being introduced into the sport, and we are working hard consistently. That is why Indian rowing is making significant progress,” Satnam said.

Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Satnam said the immediate objective would be to qualify in as many events as possible and reach the finals.

“At present, we are very hopeful about the Los Angeles Olympics. Our 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 competing against European countries and are finishing only around three to four seconds behind them,” he said.

He added, “Earlier, we were considerably behind, but with the continued support of our coaches, the introduction of new approaches and techniques in the sport, and our consistent hard work, Indian rowing is progressing significantly. We hope that in the years ahead, we can also win gold medals at the Asian Games. We will always strive for that. As for the Olympics, our aim is to participate and give our very best to reach the finals.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar