From Uber Driver To Asian Games Medallist: Salman Khan’s Remarkable Journey To Rowing Bronze

Nine years ago, Salman Khan was driving a WagonR through the roads of Delhi-NCR to support his family. On Thursday, he stood on an Asian Games podium, having helped India win its first-ever men's double sculls medal at the continental event.

Salman and Satnam Singh secured the men's double sculls bronze in Nagoya, giving India its lone rowing medal of the Games so far. For Salman, however, the medal represented much more than a sporting achievement.

After his father died in 2016, Salman, the eldest of the siblings, took responsibility for his family. He worked as an Uber driver for a year in 2017, while simultaneously filling out recruitment forms for the Indian Army.

"It was my father's dream for me to join Indian Army, which I was able to fulfill," the 28-year-old from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh told PTI.

His entry into the Army in 2018 changed the course of his life. After joining the Bombay Engineering Group, he was introduced to rowing by coaches Satywan, Satish Siraat and Prabhat Mishra, who selected him for the centre's team.

The transition was not easy. Salman twice considered quitting the sport, but his coaches persuaded him to continue. His perseverance eventually paid off. He won gold at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat before being inducted into the Army Rowing Node, where he trained under senior coach Kudrat Ali.

In 2023, he added gold medals at the Senior Nationals and Open Sprint Nationals, strengthening his credentials at the national level.

The Asian Games bronze, however, came amid a controversy surrounding changes to India's rowing crews shortly before competition. Salman felt the late changes affected the team's performance.

"Had we trained together longer, we would have won the gold," he said, while also acknowledging that the changes were beyond his control.

Several rowers had raised concerns after crew combinations were altered following a meeting of team managers. The changes came after the rowing schedule was compressed from four days to two because of weather disruptions caused by Typhoon Dujuan.

Despite the turmoil, Salman and Satnam delivered a historic result, and for Salman, the journey from driving passengers across Delhi-NCR to rowing for India had reached its biggest milestone yet.