India’s athletics campaign at the 2026 Asian Games saw a notable addition to the medal tally as
The race was dominated by Bahrain’s Salma Naser, who set a new Games Record with a blistering time of 49.20 seconds to claim the gold. The silver medal went to Iran’s Zahra Zarei Manoujan, who finished in 52.38 seconds. India’s Kiran also competed in the final, recording a time of 53.41 seconds to finish in fifth place.
Mixed Results Across Track and Field Events
While the women's 400m provided a highlight for the Indian contingent, success proved elusive in other track and field disciplines throughout the day. In the men's 400m final, Vishal TK represented India but finished fifth with a time of 45.48 seconds. The gold medal in that event was secured by Thailand’s Joshua Atkinson, who clocked 44.90 seconds.
The women's 1500m final saw a narrow miss for the Indian team as Parul Chaudhary and Pooja finished just outside the medals. Parul produced a strong performance, setting a personal best of 4:09.46 to take fourth place, while Pooja finished in 4:16.78, placing sixth. The gold medal was claimed by Bahrain’s Nelly Korir, who established a new Games Record of 4:04.50.
Field events also presented challenges for the Indian squad. In the men's triple jump final, Karthik Unnikrishnan recorded a best effort of 16.02m, leaving him in sixth position. The event was led by China’s Wen Su, who secured gold with a Games Record jump of 17.42m. Japan’s Manato Miyao took the silver with 16.77m, and China’s Ma Yinglong rounded out the podium with a bronze-medal jump of 16.75m. India’s Praveen Chithravel was unable to register a valid mark in the competition, finishing with a result of NM.
