Asian Games 2023: Arjun Lal/Arvind Singh win historic silver in men's Lightweight doubles sculls

The duo represented India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

In a remarkable achievement for India, the country has secured back-to-back medals at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Following the impressive silver medal earned by the Indian women's team in 10m Air Rifle event, Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh clinched silver in the men's Lightweight Doubles sculls event in rowing at the Asian Games 2023. This was India's first medal in the event in 16 years.

The Indian pair secured the second position with a time of 6:28.18. Meanwhile, China claimed the top spot by clocking 6:23.16 with Uzbekistan securing the bronze medal clocking 6:33.42s.

Previously, the duo delivered an impressive display, achieving a commendable second place in Heat 1 and as result had successfully qualified for Repechage A. Their time of 6:27.45 placed them just behind the Chinese team of Fan Junjie and Sun Man, who secured first place in heats with a remarkable timing of 6:14.97s.

In the Repechage A round, Arjun Lal and Arvind Singh emerged as the frontrunners, achieving a timing of 6:55.78s, thereby securing their qualification for the Final A. The Japanese team trailed the Indian duo closely, clocking 7:05.91s.

Arjun Lal Jat, a remarkable Indian rower, hails from the Nayabas village of Churu district in Rajasthan. Born into a humble family of farmers, he discovered his passion for rowing while serving in the Indian Army.

Despite having no prior knowledge of the sport, Arjun and his rowing partner Aravind Singh were introduced to it by none other than Bajranglal Takhar, an Indian rower who won the first individual rowing gold medal for India at the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou. Both Arjun and Arvind joined the Indian Army in 2017, setting their sights on achieving greatness in the world of rowing.

The Indian duo had also represented India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 two years back.