Sunil Singh And Arjun Singh: The Heartwarming Story Of Canoe Bronze Medal Winners In Asian Games

Salam Sunil Singh, son of a fisherman, and Arjun Singh, born to a factory worker, grew up 2000km apart from each other. But there is a binding thread – an unending passion for water sports unhindered by their difficult formative years. The 24-year-old Sunil from Moirang, Manipur, and the 16-year-old Arjun, who grew up in Roorkee, combined that passion to land India a bronze medal in men's double canoe 1000m event at the Asian Games on Tuesday, a first for the country since the 1994 event.

The duo clocked 3:53.329 seconds to finish third here. In the 1994 Hiroshima edition, India had bagged a bronze in the same event through Siji Sadanandan and Johnny Rommel.

For Sunil and Arjun, the medal was the culmination of the hard work they had put in despite the crushing odds in their lives.

"My father (Iboyaima Singh) is a fisherman and every morning and evening he would row his boat out and catch fishes at the Loktak Lake and that is our family's source of income. My mother (Binita Devi) is just a homemaker," Sunil told PTI after winning the bronze in Hangzhou.

"When I started it was very difficult as the boat and other equipment cost a lot. One pedal costs a minimum of Rs 40,000 and a boat costs Rs 4-5 lakh.

"Initially, my family and relatives chipped in to finance me but after I joined the Indian Army in 2017, I was able to manage myself," said Sunil, who is now a havildar in the Army.

Sunil's passion for water is inherent as he was born and brought up near the Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater body in Northeast India, and it also houses the famous Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Sunil took his first canoeing lessons at the water sports training complex near the lake. He shifted to Hyderabad in 2013 on the advice of his aunt