Baranica Elangovan Makes History with Bronze in Women's Pole Vault at Asian Games 2026

Historic Achievement for Indian Athletics

In a remarkable feat, Indian athlete Baranica Elangovan secured a bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 25. This victory marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first Indian to earn a medal in this event at the Asian Games, as reported by a leading sports website.

Baranica successfully cleared a height of 4.15 meters, finishing in a tie for third place with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova. Both athletes achieved the same height and were equal on attempts, ultimately failing to surpass 4.25 meters.

Due to their identical performances, Baranica and Ivanova were awarded the bronze medal jointly.

This achievement is a landmark moment for Indian athletics, as Baranica is the first to medal in pole vault for both men and women at the Asian Games.

With this bronze, India's overall medal count has reached 23, comprising two golds, nine silvers, and twelve bronzes.

Earlier in the day, Gulveer showcased an impressive performance, finishing second in the men's 10,000m event with a time of 28:29.38, thus earning a silver medal for India.

Manpreet Kaur also contributed to the medal tally by winning bronze in the women's shot put, achieving her best throw of 17.17 meters on her fourth attempt.

In shooting, the duo of Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, while Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, and Niraj Kumar secured silver in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team event.

In table tennis, the mixed doubles team of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale earned bronze after reaching the semi-finals, where they faced a defeat against China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.

The squash mixed doubles pair of Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar also advanced to the semi-finals, ensuring a medal for India, while Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh progressed to the singles semi-finals.

Both the men's and women's kabaddi teams of India have reached the finals after winning their respective semi-final matches against Thailand and Nepal.

In hockey, the Indian women's team triumphed over Japan with a score of 3-1 in their Pool B match.

In other events, swimmer Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men's 200m backstroke final, and weightlifter Seram Nirupama Devi placed seventh in the women's 61kg category.

Boxer Preeti's journey in the Asian Games concluded in the round of 16 after a 0-5 loss to North Korea's Pang Chol Mi.