From Driving an Uber in Delhi to Winning an Asian Games Medal: Rower Salman Khan’s Remarkable Journey

From Driving an Uber in Delhi to Asian Games Glory: Salman Khan Wins Historic Rowing Bronze

Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan created history at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday, September 24, winning bronze in the men’s double sculls.

The Indian pair clocked 6:13.25 in the final to secure India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the men’s double sculls. China’s Yi Xudi and Yide Nie won gold, while Uzbekistan’s Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov took silver.

Satnam and Salman remained firmly in medal contention for most of the race. They were second at the 500m, 1000m and 1500m marks before being overtaken during the final stretch.

The Indian duo slipped to third in the last 500m but held their position to secure the bronze.

For Salman, the medal is particularly significant. It is his first Asian Games podium finish — a remarkable achievement for an athlete whose sporting journey began only after he joined the Indian Army.

Before rowing became part of his life, Salman was driving an Uber in Delhi to support his family.

Who Is Salman Khan?

Born in Pure Dhingai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district, Salman grew up as the eldest of four brothers and two sisters.

His father, Mohd Kasim Khan, worked in truck-body construction in Tauru, Haryana, where Salman completed his schooling.

Salman’s life changed dramatically when his father died of dengue when he was 18.

With the responsibility of supporting his younger siblings falling on him, his plans to join the Indian Army were put on hold. Instead, he moved to Delhi and began driving an Uber cab, working long hours to support his family.

His dream of joining the Army eventually returned.

A friend suggested that Salman’s height and physical build could make him suitable for the armed forces. He handed the cab over to another driver and spent four months preparing for recruitment.

He cleared the recruitment rally, medical examination and written test before joining the Bombay Engineer Group in Pune on September 25, 2018.

That was when his journey into rowing began.

How Salman Found Rowing

After joining the Army, coaches Satywan, Satish Siraat and Prabhat Mishra noticed Salman’s physical attributes and encouraged him to try rowing.

Salman was initially reluctant. Rowing had never been part of his plans.

His coaches, however, persisted and eventually put him into a boat.

The decision quickly began to pay off. Salman won silver at his first inter-centre regatta, giving him the confidence to continue.

He subsequently collected medals at battalion and inter-centre competitions before clearing the ergometer benchmarks in 2021 and earning selection for the Army Rowing Node at CME Pune.

Training alongside some of India’s leading rowers changed his outlook towards the sport.

Salman came close to quitting twice, but his coaches persuaded him to continue. Senior coach Kudrat Ali and Training Officer Major Nagendra Hooda played important roles in his development.

• From National Gold to Asian Games Bronze
• Salman’s progress soon translated into major results.

He won gold at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and also topped the 5th Indoor National Championship that year.

In 2023, he won silver at the Senior National Championships and gold at the Open Sprint National Championships. He also represented India at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne.

That year, Salman was inducted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and received ₹4,09,100 in support. He also received ₹12,16,589 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition programme.

He won another gold at the 37th National Games in Goa before claiming the top prize at the Asian Rowing Cup in 2024.

That performance also earned him a promotion to the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.

His international record continued to grow in 2025, when he won silver at the Australian Rowing Championships in Tasmania and the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam.

He also won gold at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand and the 42nd Senior National Rowing Championships in Bhopal.

The Asian Games medal now stands as another major milestone in his rapidly developing career.

Who Is Satnam Singh?

Salman’s partner in the historic bronze, Satnam Singh, also arrived at rowing after beginning his sporting career elsewhere.

Satnam was a national-level handball player before switching to rowing in 2018.

Olympian Swarn Singh Virk spotted his physical potential and encouraged him to take up the sport.

The decision soon transformed his career.

Hailing from Punjab’s Mansa district, Satnam represented India at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, finishing eighth in the men’s pair event.

He later established himself among India’s leading rowers and won the men’s single sculls title at the 40th Senior National Rowing Championships, becoming the first Indian Navy rower to win the event.

Satnam won his first Asian Games medal at Hangzhou in 2023 as part of India’s men’s quadruple sculls team that claimed bronze.

In 2025, he won gold in the men’s quadruple sculls at the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam and added silver in the men’s double sculls at the indoor Asian Championships.

A Late Change That Produced a Historic Result

The partnership between Satnam and Salman at Aichi-Nagoya came after a late reshuffle in India’s rowing team.

The two were initially part of the men’s quadruple sculls crew but were moved into the double sculls as other rowers were shifted between events.

The changes were made only days before the rowing competition and reportedly caused frustration among members of the Indian team.

Satnam and Salman, however, adapted quickly.

On Thursday, they stayed among the medal contenders through most of the final before finishing third in 6:13.25.

For Satnam, it was a second Asian Games medal.

For Salman, it was his first.

And for Indian rowing, it was a landmark first — a medal in the men’s double sculls at the Asian Games.