Hangzhou, Sep 24 (IANS): India's Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh bagged a silver medal in the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls rowing competition on Sunday, giving a good start to the country's campaign for excellence in Hangzhou.

Indian rowers have made it to nine finals in Hangzhou and the Olympian rowers duo of Arjun and Arvind came up with a fine performance to bag India's first medal in the 19th Asian Games.

Arvind and Arjun completed the course in a timing of 6 minutes 28.18 seconds as they finished behind the Chinese duo -- Junje Fan and Man Sun, who completed the course in 6:23.16. Uzbekistan's Shakhzod Nurmatov and Sobirjon Safaroumov won the bronze medal in 6:32.47.

With Arjun Lal Jat at the bow and Arvind Singh at the stroke, the Indian pair was placed second at the 500m mark, completing it in 1:33.80 and maintaining themselves just 0.70 seconds behind the Chinese pair in the lead.

By the 1000m mark, the Chinese pair had extended the lead but the Indians maintained their gap with the Uzbekistan pair.

By the 1500 marker, the writing was on the wall as the Chinese continued to extend their lead while the Indians maintained their second position, keeping the Uzbekistan rowers at bay.

That's how they crossed the finish line as India started their campaign with a silver medal.

Both Arjun and Arvind are very experienced rowers having represented the country in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Both the rowers are TOPS scheme beneficiaries with Arjun being a core group member.