'We didn’t eat, drink or sleep': Rowers Satnam and Salman recall turmoil before historic Asian Games bronze

NAGOYA: Earlier this week, Typhoon Dujuan disrupted the Asian Games schedule and triggered a storm of a different kind in Indian rowing.A contingent that won five medals at the previous edition in Hangzhou will return home with just one — a bronze won by Satnam Singh and Salman Khan in the men’s double sculls.The duo had originally been entered in the quadruple sculls before being moved to the doubles following 11th-hour changes by the Rowing Federation of India (RFI), which attributed the reshuffle to the curtailed competition schedule.At the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Gifu Prefecture on Thursday, Satnam and Salman stayed in the leading pack for much of the race. China’s Xudi Yi and Yide Nie eventually pulled away to win gold in 6:09.77, ahead of Uzbekistan’s Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov and Pavel Sorin (6:10.49). The Indian pair finished in 6:13.25.The medal dulled the bitterness of the previous few days, but did little to erase it.“The hardest part was that we were removed from the quadruple and placed into the doubles. We were depressed. We didn’t eat or drink or sleep that night. We were harassed and had no recovery,” Salman said.With a medal at stake, a first for India in the Asian Games men’s double sculls, the rowers had to put the upheaval aside.“The next day, we woke up and felt that what matters most is the country and the flag. We have to keep it high. Whatever happens later will happen. We want to make sure that whatever happened to us shouldn’t happen to any other rower,” Salman said.“We had a chance to raise the flag of our country high but we lost it. Koi nahi. Jo kismat mein hota wahi milta hai. If it is in our destiny to win something, then it is impossible to stop it,” he added.Satnam, though, could not help wondering what might have been.“The situation we faced two days before was very unexpected. If we had been formed four months ago, then we could have been fighting for gold,” said the Navy rower. “But I am feeling proud since we have never won a medal in double sculls. I feel sad for my partners (from the quadruple sculls) because a good medal has gone from our hands.”Upset by the changes before the race, Salman recalled the advice his coaches gave him before the race: “Salman, aisa chappu maro ki nadi ka paani bahar aa jaye. (Row your oars with such force that the water overflows from the river.)”The line brought a smile to his face. “You get so motivated with such words that you can row with a stone as well,” he said.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.