India Wins Historic Mixed Relay Gold, Adds Four More Medals at Asian U23 Athletics Championships
India's young athletes delivered a memorable performance at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, clinching the nation's first-ever gold medal at the competition while adding four more medals across distance running, throws, and steeplechase events.
The standout moment came in the Mixed 4x400m Relay, where the Indian quartet produced a stunning finish to edge hosts China in one of the most dramatic races of the championships. Alongside the historic gold, India also secured a silver and two bronze medals in track events, while Bhartpreet Singh added another bronze in the men's discus throw to cap an impressive opening phase of the continental championships.
The performances underline the growing strength of India's next generation of athletes as they continue to establish themselves on the Asian stage.
India's defining moment of the championships came in the Mixed 4x400m Relay. Competing against a strong Chinese team backed by home support, the Indian quartet held their own throughout the race before producing a sensational finish on the anchor leg. With China leading heading into the final stretch, Shravani Sangle delivered a remarkable final lap, gradually closing the gap before overtaking China's Yingying Huang in the closing metres.
India crossed the finish line in 3:18.64, narrowly defeating China, who finished just 0.10 seconds behind in 3:18.74. The victory secured India's first-ever gold medal at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships and demonstrated the country's growing strength in relay events.
Each member of the relay team contributed significantly, but Sangle's composed anchor leg proved decisive in sealing a memorable victory against the hosts.
India added another medal in the field events through Bhartpreet Singh, who claimed bronze in the men's discus throw. After a steady start to the competition, Bhartpreet produced his best effort on his fifth attempt, registering a throw of 52.91 metres. Although he remained behind the dominant Chinese duo, the performance was enough to secure a place on the podium.
China completed a one-two finish in the event, with Zhixin Li producing a personal best throw of 60.79 metres to take gold, while compatriot Zehao Jiang claimed silver with 59.60 metres. For Bhartpreet, the bronze medal represents another encouraging result as he continues to develop at the international level.
India's medal tally continued to grow in the women's 3000m steeplechase, where Prachi Devkar delivered a composed performance to finish third. Competing in a strong field dominated by Chinese athletes, Prachi maintained a consistent pace throughout the race before crossing the line in 10:32.69. China once again occupied the top two positions, with Yiting Yang winning gold in 10:14.68, followed by Yuxin Liu, who claimed silver in 10:25.51.
Prachi's bronze nevertheless represented another important achievement for Indian athletics, showcasing the country's improving standards in middle and long-distance events.
India had opened its medal account at the championships with an impressive double podium finish in the men's 5000 metres. Shivaji Parashuram produced an excellent race to secure the silver medal, clocking 14:08.19, while teammate Vinod Singh added bronze with a time of 14:23.67. The race was won by Japan's Rui Suzuki, who claimed gold in 14:01.24.
The double podium finish highlighted India's growing depth in endurance running and provided an early boost to the team's campaign. Winning two medals in a single event also reflected the increasing competitiveness of India's distance runners at the continental level.
Not every event brought success for the Indian contingent. In the men's 100 metres, both Indian sprinters narrowly missed qualification for the final. Vibhaskar Kumar finished fourth in his heat after clocking 10.50 seconds, while Sam Vasanth placed sixth in Heat 3 with 10.66 seconds.
Neither athlete advanced to the final eight, as Malaysia's Md. Fahimi emerged as the fastest qualifier with an impressive 10.15 seconds.
Although disappointing, the performances offered valuable experience for two young athletes competing at a high-level continental championship.
Following an encouraging opening phase of the championships, India now turns its attention to Day 2, where 11 Indian athletes are scheduled to compete across six different events. Among those in action will be decathlete Abhijit Bhosale, who continues his demanding two-day competition with the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and concluding 1500m. The schedule also includes heats in the men's 200m featuring Gokul Pandiyan and Abhay Singh, women's 400m with Sandramol Sabu, men's 400m featuring Setu Mishra and Astik Pradhan, along with medal events in the men's 800m, women's 800m, men's 3000m steeplechase, and potentially the men's 200m final depending on qualification.
With momentum firmly on India's side, the team will be looking to build on its impressive medal tally over the remaining days of competition.
The performances in Ordos offer further evidence of the steady progress being made by India's youth athletics programme. Success in relay events, throws, distance running, and steeplechase demonstrates encouraging depth across multiple disciplines rather than reliance on a handful of athletes. The historic mixed relay gold, in particular, reflects India's emergence as a strong relay nation, while medals across endurance and field events underline the effectiveness of grassroots development programmes.
As the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships continue, India has already established itself among the leading nations at the competition. With several finals still to come and a strong contingent competing over the remaining days, the country's young athletes have every opportunity to add to an already impressive medal haul and further strengthen India's reputation as one of Asia's emerging athletics powers.
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