Business

Army officer who couldn’t swim wins at rowing

By Sohail Khan 25 September 2026, 8:54 am

Benchmarks
Nifty23,063.10-383.71

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
20.47 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Trending›Asian Games 2026: Indian Army officer couldn't swim, began rowing despite being afraid of water; now he has won a bronze medal in Japan

Read Today's Paper

Asian Games 2026: Indian Army officer couldn't swim, began rowing despite being afraid of water; now he has won a bronze medal in Japan
Synopsis

Asian Games 2026 medal winner: Naib Subedar Salman Khan, who once drove a cab on the Delhi-Gurgaon road to support his family after his father's death, has won bronze in men's double sculls rowing at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Despite being afraid of water and unable to swim, he was pushed into the sport by Army coaches, overcame a last-minute change of partner just five days before the event, and finished on the podium alongside Satnam Singh

Salman Khan drove a taxi on the Delhi-Gurgaon road for a year, trying to make sense of a life that had turned upside down after his father died. He never imagined that a few years later, he would be sitting in a rowing boat on the Nagara river in Japan, holding an Asian Games medal.

The 28-year-old Naib Subedar, who serves with the Army's 122 Engineer Regiment, won bronze in the men's double sculls rowing event at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Thursday, alongside partner Satnam Singh. The duo clocked 6:13.25, finishing just 3.48 seconds behind gold medallists from China and 2.76 seconds behind the silver medal pair from Uzbekistan and Russia, as per .

How did a cab driver end up rowing for India?

Salman's story did not begin with rowing. It began with loss. His father Kasim Khan, a farmer, passed away when Salman was around seventeen or eighteen, leaving behind a wife and six children, the youngest just a year old. The family, then living in Haryana, had to move back to their native place, and the responsibility of running the household fell on Salman.

To support his mother and five younger siblings, Salman moved to Delhi and became a cab driver, navigating a battered Wagon-R on one of the country's busiest and most chaotic stretches of road. "I had to move to Delhi and drive an Uber," he told . A friend eventually suggested he try for the Army, given his physique.

You Might Also Like:

Asian Games 2026: Satnam-Salman secure rowing bronze in men's double sculls; Balraj falls short of singles medal

Why did he almost give up on the Army?

Salman's path into the forces was not smooth either. His mother, Jaburunnisha, told ANI that he failed his first attempt and was ready to give up, planning to stick with driving instead. "He failed his first attempt, felt discouraged, and said he would not go again and would stick to driving Ola," she recalled. He tried again, cleared the selection, and joined the Army, selling off his taxi soon after.

Once in uniform, coaches noticed his build and pushed him toward sports, specifically rowing, a sport he had no interest in and no experience with.

What made rowing so difficult for him?

You Might Also Like:

Asian Games Day 6 full schedule: Focus on athletics, kabaddi, squash as India eyes more gold

Salman could not swim, and the water frightened him. "I didn't even know how to swim. I didn't want to do rowing. Early on in my training, the boat did overturn once, and I was terrified," he said. It took steady work from his coaches to get him comfortable in the boat. "My coaches worked extremely hard, and gradually I got used to it. It is because of their efforts that I have reached this stage," he added.

How did a last-minute change almost cost India a medal?

The road to Nagoya had one more twist. Salman had trained with partners Jakar Khan and Balraj for six to seven months, but just five days before the event, he was paired with Satnam Singh instead. "Just five days before the event, I was given a new partner. We sat in the double sculls boat just five days ago," he said. The sudden change disrupted their preparation, and Salman believes it may have cost India a higher finish. "If the pairing had not been changed and this boat combination had been formed earlier, India might have won the gold medal," he said.

How did the family react to the win?

Back home in Amethi, the family had spent the night in prayer. Jaburunnisha told ANI that everyone woke up around 4 am to keep praying, and the news of the bronze arrived an hour later. "We are extremely happy, and so are our neighbors, the entire village, and everyone at home. The joy is beyond words," she said. After the race, Salman called his mother and wife first.

His mother says the medals he has won over the years are all kept safely at home, a quiet record of a journey that started on the Delhi-Gurgaon road and ended on the Asian Games podium.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Asian Games 2026Indian Army officerSalman Khan rowingsports success storyIndian Army officer couldn't swimIndian Army officer asian games medal winnerAsian Games 2026 medal winnersmen's double sculls rowingsalman khan satnam singh asian gamessports success inspirational story

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year