India shines at Asian Rowing Championships

India’s rowing contingent delivered one of its most impressive performances in recent years at the 2025 Asian Rowing Championships in Hai Phong, Vietnam, clinching a total of 10 medals, including three golds and five silvers. Leading the charge was Olympian Balraj Panwar, whose dominant performance in the men’s single scull (M1X) underlined his status as one of India’s finest oarsmen.

Panwar’s gold-winning display in the M1X was complemented by two more top podium finishes. Lakshay and Ajay Tyagi combined superb rhythm and endurance to seize gold in the lightweight men’s double scull (LM2X), while the men’s quadruple scull (M4X) team of Kulwinder Singh, Navdeep Singh, Satnam Singh, and Jakar Khan showcased perfect coordination to claim the title.

A historic highlight came in women’s rowing, as Gurbani Kaur and Diljot Kaur ended a 15-year medal drought for Indian women at the Asian Championships by finishing second in the lightweight women’s pair (LW2-). Their silver-winning effort, marked by technical finesse and sheer grit, was hailed as a breakthrough and a boost for the future of women’s rowing in India.

Other silver medals included the men’s eight (M8+), featuring Nitin Deol, Parvinder Singh, Lakhveer Singh, Ravi, Gurpratap Singh, Bheem Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Kulbir, and Kiran Singh Maiom; the men’s double scull (M2X) duo of Jaspinder Singh and Salman Khan; the lightweight men’s quadruple scull (LM4X) crew of Rohit, Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Lakshay, and Ajay Tyagi; and the lightweight men’s four (LM4-) team of Sannee Kumar, Iqbal Singh, Babu Lal Yadav, and Yogesh Kumar.

Bronze medals rounded off India’s remarkable campaign in the lightweight men’s pair (LM2-) with Nitin Deol and Parvinder Singh, and the women’s eight (W8+) crew of Gurbani Kaur, Diljot Kaur, Suman Devi, Alenna Anto, Kiran, Poonam, and Haobijam Tendenthoi Devi.

India had fielded a 37-member contingent (25 men, 12 women) across 15 events, with heats held on October 16-17 and finals over the following two days, cementing India’s growing stature in Asian rowing.