| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1981-01-05)5 January 1981 (age 45) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Military career | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  India | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch |  Indian Army | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank |  Naib Subedar | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | Rajputana Rifles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards | Padma Shri | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bajrang Lal Takhar (born 5 January 1981) is a retired Indianrower andcoach. He is the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in rowing at theAsian Games. Previously, he won a silver medal at the2006 Asian Games in Doha. Takhar represented India at the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, competing in the men’ssingle sculls. He has also won multiple gold medals at theSouth Asian Games and theAsian Championships.[1]
A retiredNaib Subedar in theRajputana Rifles regiment of theIndian Army, Takhar was honored with theArjuna Award in 2008 and thePadma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2013. He has coached notablerowers, includingBalraj Panwar andArjun Lal Jat.[2]
Takhar began his rowing career while serving in theIndian Army’sRajputana 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 inHyderabad, India (2005), winning one gold and two bronze medals.[6] He followed this by securing one gold medal at the 12th Asian Rowing Championship inChung-Ju, South Korea (2007),[7] another gold medal at the 13th Asian Rowing Championship inTaipei, Taiwan (2009), and an additional gold medal at the 15th Asian Rowing Championship in Luan, China (2013).[6]
At the2006 Asian Games inDoha, Qatar, Takhar won the silver medal in the men’ssingle sculls, becoming the first Indian rower to win an individual medal at theAsian Games.[8] In the same year, at the2006 South Asian Games inColombo, 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 the2010 Asian Games inGuangzhou, China, Takhar won gold medal in the men’ssingle sculls with a time of 7:04.78 minutes, marking India’s first-ever gold medal in rowing at theAsian Games.[8][9]
He was part of the Indian men’s eight team that won the bronze medal at the2014 Asian Games inIncheon, South Korea—his third consecutive podium finish at theAsian 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 inChungju, 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 inRajasthan, his home state, and has been involved in plans for establishing a rowing academy to train young athletes.[13] In 2024, he coached Indian rowerBalraj Panwar, who qualified for theParis Olympic Games in the men’ssingle sculls.[2]
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.
Indian rower Sawarn Singh (left) with coach Bajrang Lal Takhar during the Asian Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea last year
