Yashas Palaksha Injured: India's 400m hurdler campaign ends in heartbreak at Asian Games 2026
Yashas Palaksha was forced to retire mid-race.
Indian athlete Yashas Palaksha’s journey at the Asian Games 2026 ended unfortunately on Sunday after he sustained an injury before clearing the first hurdle in Heat 2 of the men’s 400m hurdles.
The 24-year-old, considered one of India’s key medal hopes in this event, had to withdraw midway through his campaign.
Egypt’s Bassem Hemeida won Heat 2, clocking 49.55 seconds to qualify, followed closely by Japan’s Kurokawa Kazuki in 50.26 seconds, both securing automatic qualification.
Mohammed Almuawi finished third in 50.63 seconds, a season’s best, while Chan Chun Ho of Hong Kong crossed in 50.70 seconds, a personal best. Basel Selmi rounded off the finishers in 56.24 seconds, also a personal best.
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How has he fared in his career?
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Born on December 8, 2001, Palaksha has established himself in recent years as one of India’s most consistent performers in the 400m hurdles.
At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, he clocked 49.61 seconds in the heats to finish second and advance to the final, where he placed fifth, with compatriot Santhosh Kumar finishing sixth. In 2023, he qualified for the final at the Asian Athletics Championships.
That same year, he won the 400m hurdles at the National Federation Cup in Ranchi and again at the Indian Championships in Bhubaneswar. His career-best came in 2025, when he clocked 49.22 seconds to win silver at the Taiwan Athletics Open.
Why did Yashas Palaksha not finish his 400m hurdles heat at the Asian Games 2026?
Yashas Palaksha pulled up before reaching the first hurdle in Heat 2 of the men’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026, appearing to suffer an injury during his run-up. He was unable to continue the race and was officially recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish) in the results.
What is Yashas Palaksha’s personal best in the 400m hurdles?
Palaksha’s personal best of 49.22 seconds came at the Taiwan Athletics Open 2025, where he won a silver medal. His other notable performance includes a time of 49.61 seconds at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he finished fifth in the final.
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