Seema Kumari ended India’s 16-year wait for a women’s 10,000m medal as the mixed 4x400m relay team added silver at the Asian Games.
India’s athletics campaign at the Asian Games got off to a strong start with medals in the women’s 10,000m and mixed 4x400m relay, along with two Indian sprinters progressing to the 100m semifinals.
Seema Kumari won bronze in the women’s 10,000m, while the mixed 4x400m relay team finished second. Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur also advanced in the men’s 100m.
The early results have given India a positive start in athletics, with athletes making their presence felt across both distance running and sprint events.
Seema Kumari Wins Bronze in the 10,000m
Seema Kumari finished third in the women’s 10,000m final in 32:50.05, earning India a bronze medal.
The runner from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, stayed with the leading group through much of the 25-lap race before securing third place in the closing stages. The long-distance event demanded patience as much as speed, with athletes having to manage their pace over several kilometres before making their final push.
Seema remained in contention as the race developed and held her position when the pace increased. Her finish gave India a place on the podium in an event where the country had been waiting for another medal since the 2010 Asian Games.
Bahrain’s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi won the event, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka took the silver medal.
Seema’s bronze ended a 16-year gap for India in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games. Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut had won medals for India in the event at the 2010 edition.
The result also added another chapter to India’s growing presence in long-distance running at major international competitions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Seema for her performance, describing it as an achievement built on endurance, discipline and years of hard work.
India Takes Silver in Mixed 4x400m Relay
India added another medal in the mixed 4x400m relay, with T.S. Manu, M.R. Poovamma, T.K. Vishal and Vithya Ramraj finishing second in 3:14.46.
Manu ran the opening leg before handing over to Poovamma. Vishal took the third leg, leaving Vithya Ramraj with the final lap.
Each runner played a different part in keeping India in the medal fight. The team stayed close enough to the leaders through the race to give the final runner a chance to challenge for a podium finish.
The Indian anchor held on in the closing metres to finish just 0.08 seconds ahead of Vietnam. Bahrain won the gold medal.
The silver continues India’s medal run in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Games. India won gold in 2018 and silver in 2023, making this the country’s third consecutive medal in the event.
For a relay team, the result also reflects the importance of timing and consistency across all four legs. A small gap at the finish can decide the difference between a podium place and fourth position, and India managed to stay on the right side of that margin.
Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur Reach 100m Semifinals
India also had two athletes through to the semifinals of the men’s 100m.
Animesh Kujur clocked 10.36 seconds in his heat, while national record holder Gurindervir Singh finished in 10.38 seconds.
Both runners advanced from the heats and secured their places in the next round. The 100m remains one of the most closely followed events on the athletics programme, where the margins between competitors are often measured in hundredths of a second.
For the Indian sprinters, reaching the semifinals provided another opportunity to test themselves against the strongest runners in the field.
India’s Athletics Campaign Continues
The medals in the 10,000m and mixed relay have given India a solid start in athletics at the Asian Games.
Seema Kumari’s bronze brought India back onto the women’s 10,000m podium after a long gap, while the mixed relay team extended the country’s consistent medal record in the event.
The progress of Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur in the 100m has also added interest to India’s sprint campaign.
There is still plenty of competition ahead, with Indian athletes set to feature across several track and field events. The opening results have already provided medals in two different disciplines and put more Indian athletes through to the next stage.
India’s athletics campaign at the Asian Games got off to a strong start with medals in the women’s 10,000m and mixed 4x400m relay, along with two Indian sprinters progressing to the 100m semifinals.
Seema Kumari won bronze in the women’s 10,000m, while the mixed 4x400m relay team finished second. Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur also advanced in the men’s 100m.
The early results have given India a positive start in athletics, with athletes making their presence felt across both distance running and sprint events.
Seema Kumari Wins Bronze in the 10,000m
Seema Kumari finished third in the women’s 10,000m final in 32:50.05, earning India a bronze medal.
The runner from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, stayed with the leading group through much of the 25-lap race before securing third place in the closing stages. The long-distance event demanded patience as much as speed, with athletes having to manage their pace over several kilometres before making their final push.
Seema remained in contention as the race developed and held her position when the pace increased. Her finish gave India a place on the podium in an event where the country had been waiting for another medal since the 2010 Asian Games.
Bahrain’s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi won the event, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka took the silver medal.
Seema’s bronze ended a 16-year gap for India in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games. Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut had won medals for India in the event at the 2010 edition.
The result also added another chapter to India’s growing presence in long-distance running at major international competitions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Seema for her performance, describing it as an achievement built on endurance, discipline and years of hard work.
India Takes Silver in Mixed 4x400m Relay
India added another medal in the mixed 4x400m relay, with T.S. Manu, M.R. Poovamma, T.K. Vishal and Vithya Ramraj finishing second in 3:14.46.
Manu ran the opening leg before handing over to Poovamma. Vishal took the third leg, leaving Vithya Ramraj with the final lap.
Each runner played a different part in keeping India in the medal fight. The team stayed close enough to the leaders through the race to give the final runner a chance to challenge for a podium finish.
The Indian anchor held on in the closing metres to finish just 0.08 seconds ahead of Vietnam. Bahrain won the gold medal.
The silver continues India’s medal run in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Games. India won gold in 2018 and silver in 2023, making this the country’s third consecutive medal in the event.
For a relay team, the result also reflects the importance of timing and consistency across all four legs. A small gap at the finish can decide the difference between a podium place and fourth position, and India managed to stay on the right side of that margin.
Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur Reach 100m Semifinals
India also had two athletes through to the semifinals of the men’s 100m.
Animesh Kujur clocked 10.36 seconds in his heat, while national record holder Gurindervir Singh finished in 10.38 seconds.
Both runners advanced from the heats and secured their places in the next round. The 100m remains one of the most closely followed events on the athletics programme, where the margins between competitors are often measured in hundredths of a second.
For the Indian sprinters, reaching the semifinals provided another opportunity to test themselves against the strongest runners in the field.
India’s Athletics Campaign Continues
The medals in the 10,000m and mixed relay have given India a solid start in athletics at the Asian Games.
Seema Kumari’s bronze brought India back onto the women’s 10,000m podium after a long gap, while the mixed relay team extended the country’s consistent medal record in the event.
The progress of Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur in the 100m has also added interest to India’s sprint campaign.
There is still plenty of competition ahead, with Indian athletes set to feature across several track and field events. The opening results have already provided medals in two different disciplines and put more Indian athletes through to the next stage.
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