Indian Athletes Shine and Struggle at Asian Games

Indian athletes showcased a mix of triumphs and setbacks at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Murali Sreeshankar and David Patturaj Solomon advanced to the finals in men's long jump, while Vithya Ramraj and Anu Raghavan excelled in the women's 400m hurdles. However, the Kurash events saw early exits for several competitors, and Tejaswin Shankar slipped to third in the decathlon. Manju Rani faced disappointment in the women's marathon race walk. Read on for a detailed overview of their performances.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 27, 2026, 10:56 IST

Athletics: Jumpers and Hurdlers Progress to Finals

On Sunday, Indian athletes Murali Sreeshankar and David Patturaj Solomon secured their spots in the finals of the men's long jump at the Asian Games taking place in Aichi-Nagoya. Sreeshankar achieved a commendable second place in Group B with a top jump of 7.84 meters, while Solomon finished third in Group A with a best of 7.62 meters.

In the women's 400 meters hurdles heats, both Vithya Ramraj and Anu Raghavan advanced to the finals, finishing second in their respective heats. Vithya recorded a season-best time of 55.73 seconds, while Anu achieved her personal best at 55.84 seconds.

Kurash: India Faces Early Exits

In Kurash, Indian competitors faced several early eliminations. Vishal was defeated in the men's +90 kg quarterfinals, losing 0-5 to Thailand's Kunathip Yea-On. Sangita Balhara suffered a 10-0 defeat against Charmea Quelino from the Philippines in her round of 32 match. Additionally, Bharti lost 3-0 to Iran's Tahereh Azarpeivand in the round of 16, while Yash Kumar was also eliminated with a 10-0 loss to Tajikistan's Shakarmamad Mirmamadov.

Decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar Drops to Third Place

Tejaswin Shankar fell from first to third place after the discus throw event in the decathlon on Sunday. Before this event, he was leading the decathlon standings, having finished third in the 110m hurdles heat with a time of 14.33 seconds, earning 932 points. He initially held a total of 5,270 points, positioning him for a potential gold medal. However, in the discus throw, he managed only a third-place finish with a best throw of 36.77 meters, falling short of his personal best. With a total of 5,869 points, he now sits in third, while athletes from China and Japan lead the standings. The final two events, pole vault and javelin throw, are not considered Tejaswin's strongest disciplines.

Race Walk: Manju Rani's Disappointing Performance

In the women's marathon race walk, Manju Rani finished in sixth place with a time of 3:40:17. Meanwhile, Priyanka Goswami was disqualified after reaching the 9 km mark.