Arjun Singh is an Indian canoeist. He won the bronze medal at the men’s sprint C-2 1000m canoeing event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Wiki/Biography
Arjun Singh Dhaka was born in 2007 (age 16 years; as of 2023).
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′ 0″
Weight (approx.): 75 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Arjun’s family originally hails from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. They later shifted to Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Parents & Siblings
Arjun Singh’s father is deceased. Arjun’s mother has a job at a medicine manufacturing factory in Roorkee where she makes about Rs 8000 to Rs 10000 per month.
Arjun Singh’s mother
Career
Arjun Singh and his mother led a challenging life. They lived in a rented house and had to take care of their needs with the small income his mother made. Arjun Singh was passionate about water sports from a young age. His uncle, Ajit Singh, a national and international canoeist, encouraged Arjun’s passion for water sports. Ajit Singh convinced Arjun’s family to shift to Roorkee, Uttarakhand. In 2017, Arjun, who was 12 years old at the time, started training at the Army Node in Roorkee. In 2022, Arjun spent some time training at the SAI (Sports Authority of India) Water Sports Complex in Jagatpur, Odisha. In 2023, Arjun Singh relocated to Bhopal where he joined the SAI Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Arjun made the shift to Bhopal on the advice of his Coach Pijush Borai.
Coach Pijush Baroi who trained Arjun Singh
Despite his current training at the SAI Bhopal, Arjun says that he hasn’t forgotten the challenging times when his family struggled to make ends meet. According to Arjun, life has improved since he joined the Bhopal SAI Centre, where he receives excellent care.
A picture of Arjun Singh practising canoeing
Arjun Singh participated in the 2023 Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Asian Championships held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where he won 5 medals (three silver medals, one gold, and a bronze medal). Arjun Singh met his Asian Games teammate Sunil Singh Salam in 2023, a few months before they participated in the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Germany in August 2023. Their combined efforts led them to the final, where they came in ninth.
Arjun Singh (left) canoeing with his teammate Sunil Singh Salam
At the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, Arjun Singh and his teammate Sunil Singh Salam brought home a bronze medal. The duo clocked in a time of 3:53.329 seconds. Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh Salam are the second Indian team to bring home a canoeing medal (for the 1000m doubles category) from the Asian Games. The last time an Indian team (consisting of Siji Sadanandan and Johnny Rommel) won an Asian Games medal in a canoeing event was in 1994 during the Hiroshima Asian Games. Arjun Singh’s aim is to be selected for the Paris Olympics in 2024. According to his coach Pijush Baroi, the team has a shot at the Paris Olympics if they come second in the Olympic qualifiers.
Arjun Singh (second from right) with Coach Pijush Baroi (extreme right)
Medals
Gold
2023: Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Asian Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Silver
2023: 500m (junior category) at the Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Asian Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Arjun Singh posing with the medals that he won at the Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Asian Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Bronze
- 2023: Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Asian Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- 2023: 1000m canoeing event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with Sunil Singh Salam.
Arjun Singh (right) and Sunil Singh Salam posing with the bronze medals that they won at the 2022 Asian Games
Facts/Trivia
Arjun Singh considers Martin Fuksa from the Czech Republic to be his idol. Martin Fuksa is the world champion of the 1000m canoe single event.