President Droupadi Murmu extended her congratulations to Indian athletes who won medals on Day 9 of the Asian Games. She specifically lauded the women's 4x400m relay team for their historic gold, shooter Neeru Dhanda for India's first individual gold and a new Asian record, and other medalists in shooting, high jump, relays, distance running, and boxing, highlighting their achievements as a source of national pride and inspiration.
Vithya Ramraj broke P T Usha's 42-year-old national record in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games, clocking 54.75 seconds to win a bronze medal. Usha expressed pride, stating that records are meant to inspire the next generation.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Indian athletes Parul Chaudhary, Gulveer Singh, Vithya Ramraj, and Esha Singh for their medal-winning performances on Day 9 of the Asian Games. Parul Chaudhary secured her second medal with a bronze in the women's 5,000m, while Gulveer Singh earned a silver in the men's 1,500m, adding to his previous silver. Vithya Ramraj won bronze in the women's 400m hurdles with a personal best and national record, and Esha Singh claimed silver in the women's 25m pistol event.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been named India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. Both athletes have significant achievements, with Bhaker making history at the Paris Olympics and Toor winning gold in previous Asian Games editions. Their selection highlights the importance of shooting and athletics to India's medal tally.
Kenya's Charles Matata broke the course record to win the men's elite race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday, clocking 58 minutes and 52 seconds. Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu secured the women's elite title. Indian elite races were won by Shailesh Kushwaha and Ankita Dhyani, with significant prize money awarded across categories.
Para athlete Dilip Gavit, fresh off a Commonwealth Games gold in the 100m, is now focused on breaking world records in both the 100m and 400m events at the upcoming Para Asian Games in Japan. Gavit, who competes in the T47 category, also shared insights into his training, his past achievements in able-bodied events, and the crucial role of his coach, Vaijanath Kale, in his journey.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games started strongly with the mixed 4x400m relay team securing a silver medal, their third consecutive Asian Games medal in the event. Additionally, Seema won a surprise bronze in the women's 10,000m race, marking India's first medal in athletics at the Games. Other Indian athletes also progressed to semifinals in various events.
Indian athletes Baranica Elangovan, Gulveer Singh, and Manpreet Kaur secured historic medals at the Asian Games. Elangovan clinched India's first-ever pole vault medal with a bronze, while Singh became the first Indian to win two 10,000m medals, earning a silver. Kaur redeemed herself with a shot put bronze, contributing to India's growing athletics medal tally.
Tanya Chaudhary of Uttar Pradesh has set a new women's hammer throw national record at the Indian Athletics Series Final, achieving a distance of 68.35m and surpassing the previous record held by Anushka Yadav. Both athletes are part of the Asian Games team.
Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj expressed immense happiness after winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 and breaking legendary PT Usha's national record, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds.
Vithya Ramraj won three medals at the Asian Games and broke P T Usha's 42-year-old record. Her twin Nithya, an international athlete herself, ruled out of the Games by an injury, looks back at their journey from a rented home to a podium finish.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games is set to begin, with star shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor aiming for a historic third consecutive gold. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and long-distance runner Gulveer Singh are also looking to upgrade their previous medals. Despite Neeraj Chopra's absence, the 75-member Indian team targets 25-30 medals across various events, including steeplechase, javelin, and high jump, facing strong competition from other Asian athletes.
Almost all of India's Asian Games-bound track and field athletes, including star steeplechaser Avinash Sable and javelin thrower Yashvir Singh, will participate in the Indian Athletics Series Final. This invitational event, featuring a total prize fund of Rs 65 lakh, serves as a crucial tune-up for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, with most of the 77-member squad competing.
Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia expressed confidence in the Indian contingent's performance at the upcoming Asian Para Games in Japan. He highlighted the team's focused training, stress-free environment, and recent successes, while also outlining long-term plans for the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics and addressing grassroots development challenges.
Animesh Kujur secured a remarkable double, winning both the 100m and 200m titles, while Harita Bhadra clocked the second-fastest time ever by an Indian woman in the 100m at the inaugural Indian Athletics Final Series, showcasing strong form ahead of the Asian Games.
Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek secured double sprint gold at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, each winning the 100m and 200m titles and a $300,000 jackpot. Jefferson-Wooden's 200m time of 21.47 seconds made her the third fastest woman in history, while Bednarek, known as "Kung Fu Kenny," dominated the men's 200m. The event, designed for television, drew sellout crowds and featured other star athletes like Gianmarco Tamberi and Mondo Duplantis, with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe noting its potential for future Olympic and World Championship elements.
Tamil Nadu sprinters Neil Samraj R and T Mrithika secured gold medals in the men's and women's 100m events, respectively, at the National Youth Athletics Championships in Ludhiana. Both athletes set new records, with Samraj breaking the youth national record and Mrithika surpassing a meet record previously held by Dutee Chand.
India achieved its most productive day at the Commonwealth Games, securing a record-breaking seven gold medals in boxing, along with significant successes in judo and para track and field, propelling the nation to fourth place in the medal table.
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship saw thrilling performances on its second day, with Audrey Werro defeating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the women's 800m and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden clocking the season's fastest time in the women's 100m. Other notable winners included Kenny Bednarek in the men's 100m, Collen Kebinatshipi and Marileidy Paulino in the 400m, Haruka Kitaguchi in javelin, Klaudia Kazimierska in 1500m, Miltiadis Tentoglou in long jump, and Sandi Morris in pole vault.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen made a stunning comeback from Achilles surgery to win the men's 5,000 metres at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, securing a $150,000 prize. Fellow star Mondo Duplantis also claimed a pole vault title, narrowly missing a world record. The new championship format aims to attract new fans with its high-stakes fields and glitzy production.
India is sending a 35-member contingent, including 17 athletes, to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, starting on Saturday. Former shot-putter Om Prakash Karhana will serve as the chef-de-mission. The team features promising young talents like table tennis player Syndrela Das and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu, aiming to build on India's previous best performance of 13 medals in 2018.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games started successfully with the mixed 4x400m relay team securing a silver medal, their third consecutive in the event. Additionally, Seema earned a surprise bronze in the women's 10,000m race, marking India's first medal in the event after many years. Other Indian athletes also showed promising performances in various heats.
India's Pranav Soorma secured a gold medal with an Asian record in the men's discus throw combined F51/52/53 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Tuesday. Compatriot Ram Ratan Singh also earned a silver medal in the same event. The placings were determined using the Raza Point System, which accounts for different classifications among athletes.
The 21st Delhi Half Marathon on October 18 will feature top international athletes, including Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese and Kenya's Irine Cheptai. The World Athletics Gold Label road race offers a substantial prize purse and promises a highly competitive field.
India won six athletics medals at the Asian Games on Monday, including a javelin silver-bronze double, as Esha Singh and Murali Sreeshankar added more silver.
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships concluded with star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and javelin thrower Rohit Yadav delivering top-class performances.
Shailesh Kumar of India secured a bronze medal in the men's long jump T42/T61/T63 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, with a best jump of 5.57 metres. He narrowly beat his compatriot Mahendra Gurjar, who finished fourth.
Indian para-athlete Suvarna Raj won the gold medal in the women's F54 discus throw at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, achieving a best effort of 15.66m.
Indian javelin thrower Sukhchain secured a bronze medal in the men's F55 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. His throw of 29.94m placed him behind China's Zhou Feifei, who set a new world record, and Iran's Zaker Zafar.
Kerala's Ancy Sojan clinched the women's long jump title at the Indian Athletics Series Final, expressing strong confidence for the upcoming Asian Games where she aims to win gold and experience the national anthem on the podium.
Indian para track and field athletes secured 14 medals, including five gold, at the Asian Para Games. Nishad Kumar became the third Indian to win two gold medals in a single edition, triumphing in high jump and long jump. Deepthi Jeevanji and Pranav Soorma also clinched gold, setting new Games and Asian records respectively, highlighting India's strong performance.
Indian athletes, including Parul Chaudhary, Gulveer Singh, and Vithya Ramraj, secured multiple medals and broke records in various athletics events at the Asian Games, showcasing a strong performance in long-distance running and hurdles.
India's Sharath Makanahalli secured a bronze medal in the men's 1500m T12 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, achieving a season's best time. This marks his second medal at the Games, following a silver in the previous edition.
Star Indian para javelin thrower Sumit Antil successfully defended his gold medal at the Asian Para Games in the men's F42-44/61-64 combined event. India achieved a medal sweep with Mahendra Gurjar winning silver and Sandip Sanjay Sargar securing bronze, showcasing strong performance in para-athletics.
India's Praveen Kumar clinched a bronze medal in the men's shot put F11 event at the Asian Para Games with a personal-best throw of 13.86 metres. Iranian athletes Amirhossein Alipour and Mahdi Olad secured gold and silver respectively. The F11 category is for athletes with significant visual impairment.
Praveen Kumar secured a gold medal with a Games record in the men's high jump T44/64 at the Asian Para Games, while Banti added a silver.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt expressed amusement rather than frustration upon learning that a robot in China had broken his 100-metres world record by almost a second, stating, 'It just made me smile.'
Tanya Chaudhary shattered the women's hammer throw national record with a distance of 68.35m at the Indian Athletics Series Final. Concurrently, Avinash Sable marked a triumphant return to the 3000m steeplechase, winning his first race in over a year. Both athletes are part of India's Asian Games contingent, with Sable also eyeing a 5000m entry. The event saw a lucrative prize fund, highlighting significant performances across various disciplines.
Indian para-athletes continued their impressive performance at the Asian Para Games, adding 10 more medals, including three gold, to their tally on the third day of competitions. Ayush Verma, Praveen Kumar, and Sachin Khilari secured gold medals in their respective events, contributing to India's growing success.
Shooter Mona Agarwal and jumps specialist Nishad Kumar, both double gold medallists, have been chosen as India's flag bearers for the closing ceremony of the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Agarwal set Games and world records in shooting, while Kumar secured golds in high jump and long jump.
