India Off to a Flying Start at Asian Games 2026: Athletics Campaign Begins with Two Medals
The Indian contingent made a brilliant start to their track and field campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday. With the athletics program gaining momentum following the initial race walking events, India added two prestigious medals to its tally, courtesy of a spirited display in the mixed 4x400m relay and a historic long-distance performance in the women’s 10,000m.
Relay Squad Maintains India’s Dominant Legacy
The quartet of Machettira Poovamma, Vishal Thennarasu, Vithya Ramraj, and Thekkinalil Manu showcased exceptional synergy to secure the silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay final. Finishing with a timing of 3:14.46, the team narrowly missed the national record of 3:14.12 by less than half a second.
This performance reinforces India’s consistency in the event at the continental level, having previously claimed gold in 2018 and silver in 2023. Bahrain secured the gold with a new Asian Games record of 3:12.87, while Vietnam rounded out the podium with a bronze. The Indian team had shown promising form earlier in the day, qualifying for the final with a strong run that placed them among the top four heat finishers.
Seema Kumari Ends 16-Year Drought
The women’s 10,000m final provided one of the day’s most significant highlights. Seema Kumari clinched the bronze medal with a time of 32:50.05, marking a triumphant moment for Indian distance running. By reaching the podium, the 25-year-old athlete ended a 16-year medal drought for India in this event, the last being the historic one-two finish by Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
Seema remained disciplined throughout the race, keeping pace with the lead pack before unleashing a determined finish to claim third place behind gold medalist Winfred Yavi of Bahrain and silver medalist Nozomi Tanaka of Japan.
Near Misses and Rising Hopes
While the mood was celebratory, the day also brought moments of intense frustration for the Indian squad. Triple jumper Asha Ilango finished in fourth place, suffering a heartbreaking defeat on countback. Despite recording a best leap of 13.83m—equal to the bronze-medal winning jump of China’s Li Yi—Asha missed the podium because her second-best effort was inferior to that of her Chinese rival. Fellow competitor Niharika Vashisht finished 10th in the same event.
On the track, India’s sprinting prospects looked bright as Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh successfully advanced to the men’s 100m semi-finals. Both athletes secured automatic qualification after strong runs in their respective heats, clocking 10.36s and 10.38s, respectively.
Meanwhile, the multi-event challenge is underway as Pooja Sharma and Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh concluded the opening day of the women’s heptathlon. With the first four events—100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200m—complete, both athletes are positioned in the top ten, looking to build on their momentum as the competition enters its final day.
With two medals already in the bag and several events heading into the final stages, the Indian athletics team has set a high bar for the remainder of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
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