India Shines at Asian Athletics Championships with Multiple Gold Medals
India's Stellar Performance at the Championships
India experienced a golden day at the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday, highlighted by remarkable performances from Jyothi Yarraji, a top hurdler, and Avinash Sable, a seasoned steeplechase athlete. The women's 4x400m relay team, consisting of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha, and Subha Venkatesan, secured the gold medal with a season-best time of 3:34.18 seconds, showcasing India's prowess on the third day of the event.
Vietnam followed closely to take silver with a time of 3:34.77 seconds, while Sri Lanka earned bronze at 3:36.67 seconds. This victory marked India's 10th gold in the championships and the first since 2013. On Thursday alone, India amassed three golds, two silvers, and one bronze, bringing their total medal count to 14, despite interruptions caused by a severe thunderstorm.
Currently, India ranks second overall, trailing behind China, which has accumulated 21 medals, including 12 golds. The men's 4x400m relay team, featuring Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, and Vishal TK, also performed admirably, finishing with a silver medal in 3:03.67 seconds, their best time yet. Qatar clinched gold with a time of 3:03.52 seconds, while China took bronze at 3:03.73 seconds.
Earlier in the day, Sable made history by becoming the first Indian man in 36 years to win gold in the steeplechase at the Asian Championships, clocking a season-best of 8:20.92 seconds. "I was confident of winning gold as I was the best in the field," Sable stated, having already qualified for the World Championships in September.
Jyothi followed suit, achieving her second consecutive gold in this competition with a championship record of 12.96 seconds, breaking the previous record of 12.99 seconds set by China's Su Yiping in 2000. "It was a good day. I am happy to break the 13-second barrier this season," she expressed after her victory.
Sable's time, while impressive, fell short of his national record of 8:09.91 seconds set in 2024. The last Indian to win gold in this event was Dina Ram in 1989, while Harbel Singh was the first to secure a men's steeplechase gold in 1975. Jyothi's previous gold medal in 2023 was achieved with a time of 13.09 seconds, but her personal best remains a remarkable 12.78 seconds.
The Asian Games silver medalist joined an elite group of five athletes who have successfully defended their gold in the Asian Championships 100m hurdles, including notable names from Japan and China. Just before Jyothi's triumph, Sable showcased his skills, overtaking Japan's Yutaro Niinae, who had initially led the final lap, to secure the top prize.
The Indian team continued to shine, with Jisna, Rupal, Kunja, and Subha completing a hat-trick of gold medals for the day. Rupal earned her third medal of the championship, having previously won a mixed team gold and an individual silver in the 400m. For Subha, this was her second gold after her success in the mixed relay.
In the long jump, Anci Sojan Edapilly and Shaili Singh secured silver and bronze, respectively, with jumps of 6.33m and 6.30m, finishing behind Iran's Reihaneh Mobini Arani, who jumped 6.40m. Shaili's performance was below her personal best of 6.76m, possibly affected by the wet conditions.
Looking ahead, India is poised for more success, with Nandini Agasara leading the standings in her event after four rounds with a score of 3610. In the women's 10,000m final, Sanjeevani Jadhav clocked a season-best of 33:08.17 seconds, finishing fifth, closely followed by Seema in sixth at 33:08.23 seconds. The event was dominated by Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei, who finished in 30:48.44 seconds.