Army Rower Ajay Tyagi’s Rise From Fields Toward Asian Gold

Ajay Tyagi grew up on a farm in Ghaziabad and did not originally plan to become an athlete.

He wanted to run and join the Army.

After joining the Indian Army in 2018, he was chosen to try rowing because he was tall.

At first, he did not like the sport and was even afraid of water.

Swimming and boat-balancing practice helped him overcome that fear.

He later began to enjoy rowing and trained very hard.

He won a national gold medal in 2022 and two medals at the 2025 Asian Rowing Championships.

His family, coaches and the Army supported him throughout his journey.

Now he wants to win gold at the Asian Games and one day compete in the Olympics.