Arjun Lal

Arjun Lal Jat (born 7 February 1997) is an Indian professional rower and a subedar in the Indian Army. He had represented India at international competitions including the Asian Games, Asian Rowing Championships, and the Summer Olympics. He won gold at the 2021 and 2022 Asian Rowing Championships. He won silver at the 2019 Asian Rowing Championships and 2022 Asian Games. He also won gold at the 2022 and 2023 National Games of India. He did his primary education at the Government Primary School in Nayabas. He pursued his college education at R.L. Saharia College in Kaladera.

Career

Army career Arjun was selected as a sepoy in the Rajputana Rifles regiment in 2014. During his service in the Indian Army, he met his rowing coach Bajrang Lal Takhar, who introduced him to the sport. Following his coach’s advice, Arjun began training in rowing from 2014 onwards. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Naib Subedar, and after returning from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was further promoted to Subedar. He is currently serving as a Subedar at the Indian Army. before representing India at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where they became first Indians to reach double sculls semifinal at Olympics.

In 2021, Arjun Lal, paired with Ravi, won the gold medal in the men’s double sculls at the 2021 Asian Rowing Championships in Thailand, finishing the race in 6:57.883. This victory was India’s second consecutive podium finish in men’s double sculls at the continental championship. The following year, he and Arvind Singh secured gold at the 2022 Asian Rowing Championships and continued their domestic success by winning gold at the 2022 and 2023 National Games, along with multiple national titles in double sculls events.

At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Arjun Lal, and Arvind Singh won a silver medal in the men’s lightweight double sculls, finishing behind China.

Arjun Lal’s career has also included periods of injury and recovery. Prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers, he sustained a back injury while training in China, causing him to miss the Olympic qualification event in South Korea and leading to his temporary reassignment to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development group. He rehabilitated under guidance from a Border Security Force physiotherapist without formal medical supervision and resumed training in 2025. He participated in the Khelo India Water Sports Festival to assess his endurance and readiness ahead of national competitions and in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.