Bajrang Lal Takhar

Last updated

Retd. Naib Subedar
Bajrang Lal Takhar
Padma Shri
Personal information
Born (1981-01-05) 5 January 1981 (age 44)
Khatu, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Military career
AllegianceFlag of India.svg India
BranchFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
Rank Naib Subedar - Naib Risaldar of the Indian Army.svg Naib Subedar
Unit Rajputana Rifles
Awards Padma Shri
Sport
Sport Rowing
Medal record
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Men's rowing
Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Guangzhou Single sculls
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Doha Single sculls
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Incheon Eight

Bajrang Lal Takhar (born 5 January 1981) is a retired Indian rower and coach. He is the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in rowing at the Asian Games. Previously, he won a silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. Takhar represented India at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the men’s single sculls. He has also won multiple gold medals at the South Asian Games and the Asian Championships. [1]

Contents

A retired Naib Subedar in the Rajputana Rifles regiment of the Indian Army, Takhar was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2008 and the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2013. He has coached notable rowers, including Balraj Panwar and Arjun Lal Jat. [2]

Career

Takhar began his rowing career while serving in the Indian Army’s Rajputana Rifles regiment, where he practiced under the Army’s Mission Olympic Programme. He rose through the national ranks to become one of India’s leading rowers, representing the country in major international competitions for over a decade. [3] [4] [5]

Takhar first major international success was the 11th Asian Rowing Championship held in Hyderabad, India (2005), winning one gold and two bronze medals. [6] He followed this by securing one gold medal at the 12th Asian Rowing Championship in Chung-Ju, South Korea (2007), [7] another gold medal at the 13th Asian Rowing Championship in Taipei, Taiwan (2009), and an additional gold medal at the 15th Asian Rowing Championship in Luan, China (2013). [6]

At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Takhar won the silver medal in the men’s single sculls, becoming the first Indian rower to win an individual medal at the Asian Games. [8] In the same year, at the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo, Sri Lanka, he earned two gold medals in rowing events, helping India top the medal standings in the sport. [7]

He represented India at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed in the men’s single sculls, advancing to the quarterfinals and finishing 21st overall. Two years later, at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Takhar won gold medal in the men’s single sculls with a time of 7:04.78 minutes, marking India’s first-ever gold medal in rowing at the Asian Games. [8] [9]

He was part of the Indian men’s eight team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea—his third consecutive podium finish at the Asian Games. [10]

After retiring from active competition, Takhar transitioned into coaching and management, contributing to the development of Indian rowing. He served as coach and manager for national and junior teams at various events, [11] including the 2019 Asian Rowing Championship in Chungju, South Korea, where Indian athletes won one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals under his supervision. [12]

He has also worked to promote rowing in Rajasthan, his home state, and has been involved in plans for establishing a rowing academy to train young athletes. [13] In 2024, he coached Indian rower Balraj Panwar, who qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in the men’s single sculls. [2]

Awards

Rowing records

References

  1. ↑ Naik, Shivani (20 November 2010). "Bajrang s big splash". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Rowing coach Bajrang Lal Takhar keen to get the best out of Balraj Panwar at Paris Olympics". The Times of India. 27 July 2024. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "Asian Games 2018: Illustrated history of Bajrang Lal Takhar, winner of India's first-ever rowing gold at Guangzhou 2010 - Sports News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Asian Games gold medallist Takhar gets world-class boat, finally". The Times of India. 19 April 2011. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "भारत को दूसरा स्वर्ण पदक". BBC News हिंदी (in Hindi). 19 November 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Asian Rowing Championship". www.indiarowing.com. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Sports personalities named for prestigious Padma Awards". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 October 2025. He bagged a gold at the Asian Championships in Korea in 2007. He has won two gold medals in the single and double skull races in South Asian Games 2006.
  8. 1 2 "Asian Games 2010: Bajrang Lal Takhar wins first rowing gold for India". India Today. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  9. ↑ "Asian Games: Bajrang Lal fetches gold, rowers add three medals". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  10. ↑ "India Rowing". www.indiarowing.com. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "Bajrang Lal confident of India's chances in Olympic qualification". The Times of India. 17 April 2024. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "Indian rowers good but don't expect medal in 2021, says coach Takhar". Mid-day. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2025. Indian rower Sawarn Singh (left) with coach Bajrang Lal Takhar during the Asian Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea last year
  13. ↑ Subrahmanyam, V. V. (15 June 2020). "Bajrang Lal Takhar keen to have rowing academy in Rajasthan". Sportstar. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Dainik Navjyoti [ permanent dead link ]
  15. 1 2 Kulkarni, Abhijeet (14 June 2020). "Interview: How Bajrang Lal Takhar became India's first gold medallist in rowing at the Asian Games". Scroll.in. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Padma Awards". pib. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
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