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Rowers Satnam, Salman Lash Out After Bronze: "How Can We Celebrate?"
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News18•24-09-2026, 15:52
Rowers Satnam, Salman Lash Out After Bronze: "How Can We Celebrate?"
- •Satnam Singh and Salman Khan secured India's first-ever Asian Games medal in men's double sculls, winning bronze with a time of 6:13.25.
- •Despite their historic achievement, the rowers criticized the Rowing Federation of India for late changes to crew combinations, claiming it cost them a gold medal.
- •Originally part of the quadruple sculls team, Satnam and Salman were moved to double sculls due to a reshuffle caused by weather-related schedule compression.
- •The athletes alleged they were pressured to compete despite objections and threatened with being labeled "anti-national" if they refused.
- •Rowing Federation of India president Balaji Maradapa defended the changes, citing weather disruptions and the need to maximize medal chances after consulting foreign expert coach Anthony Patterson.
Key Questions Answered
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won India’s first-ever bronze medal in the men’s double sculls at the Asian Games, finishing third with a time of 6:13.25.
The Rowing Federation of India altered the combinations because weather-related disruptions compressed the rowing schedule from four days to two, preventing athletes from having to race multiple 2,000m events in a short span.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a cash reward of 50 lakh rupees for Satnam Singh under the state sports policy for his medal-winning achievement.
