Army officer who couldn't swim wins at rowing

Salman Khan, a 28-year-old Army officer, won a bronze medal in rowing at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Prior to this achievement, he had a vastly different life - driving a taxi on the Delhi-Gurgaon road. Born to a farmer father, Salman lost his father at around 17 or 18, leaving behind a wife and six children. To support his family, he moved to Delhi and took up taxi driving.

His journey to rowing began unexpectedly. A suggestion from a friend led him to apply for the Army, and after some initial setbacks, he joined the forces. However, rowing was not his forte. The sport posed a significant challenge as he could not swim and was initially terrified of water. Despite this, his coaches persevered, helping him overcome his fear and become comfortable with the rowing boat.

Salman's path to success was further complicated by a last-minute change in his rowing partner. Just five days before the event, he was switched from his previous partner to Satnam Singh. This change may have affected India's chances of winning the gold medal. Upon returning home, Salman shared the good news with his mother and wife. His mother expressed immense happiness over the medal, describing the joy as "beyond words".