Athletics Day 1 Recap: Seema Kumari, mixed 4x400m relay team win medals at Asian Games 2026
(Courtesy : @afiindia/Twitter)
Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh were also in action
India’s athletics campaign at the Asian Games 2026 got off to a strong start on Thursday, September 24, with the country winning two medals on the opening day.
Seema won bronze in the women’s 10,000m, while India’s mixed 4x400m relay team secured silver later in the evening.
Asha Ilango also came close to another podium finish in the women’s triple jump, while Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh progressed to the men’s 100m semi-finals.
The day also saw India’s heptathlon duo Anamika K A and Pooja complete four events, leaving three more disciplines to be contested on Friday.
Also Read: Asian Games 2026: India’s updated schedule, results for Day 6 (September 25)
Seema ends 16-year wait in women’s 10,000m
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Seema produced one of India’s biggest moments on the opening day by winning bronze in the women’s 10,000m final. She clocked 32:50.05 to finish third behind Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi, who won gold in 32:39.18, and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka, who took silver in 32:41.54.
The bronze ended a 16-year wait for India in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games. The country had last won medals in the event at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, where Preeja Sreedharan won gold and Kavita Raut took silver.
Related: Seema Kumari wins bronze in women’s 10,000m at Asian Games 2026
Seema’s result was also India’s first athletics medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The Indian distance runner came into the competition with a personal best of 32:02.43, set earlier in 2026.
Mixed 4x400m relay team adds another silver
India’s second athletics medal of the day came in the mixed 4x400m relay, where the team finished second with a time of 3:14.46.
Bahrain won gold in 3:12.87, setting a new Asian Games record, while Vietnam took bronze in 3:14.54.
India had also won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, clocking 3:14.34. That performance was a national record for India at the time. The 2026 result therefore gave India back-to-back silver medals in the event at the Asian Games.
Related: Asian Games 2026: Poovamma, Vishal, Vithya and Manu win silver in mixed 4x400m relay
India had qualified for the final after finishing second in its heat and fourth overall with a time of 3:16.23. The team improved considerably in the final to finish with 3:14.46.
Asha misses bronze on countback
Asha Ilango narrowly missed out on a medal in the women’s triple jump despite producing a best effort of 13.83m.
Her mark was the joint-third best jump of the competition, with China’s Li Yi also recording 13.83m. However, the bronze medal went to Li on countback.
Li’s second-best jump was 13.79m, while Asha’s second-best effort was 13.65m. As a result, Li finished third and Asha had to settle for fourth despite matching the Chinese athlete’s best distance.
Niharika Vashisht finished outside the medal positions with a best effort of 12.60m.
Animesh and Gurindervir through to 100m semi-finals
India had two athletes progress from the men’s 100m heats.
Animesh Kujur clocked 10.36 seconds to finish third in his heat, while Gurindervir Singh ran 10.38 seconds and finished second in his heat. Both secured direct qualification for the semi-finals.
Their progress gives India two representatives in the semi-final of the blue-riband sprint event on September 25.
Heptathlon duo remain in contention
Anamika K A and Pooja completed four events on the opening day of the women’s heptathlon – 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m.
Anamika finished the day with 3,177 points, while Pooja has 3,159 points. Anamika is seventh overall, with Pooja ninth after the opening four events.
The duo will return on September 25 for the remaining three disciplines – long jump, javelin throw and 800m, which will decide the final standings in the heptathlon.
Also Read: India at Asian Games 2026: Athletics schedule, squad, & live streaming details
What to expect from India on Day 2 of athletics?
India will have several major medal opportunities on the second day of athletics.
Gulveer Singh will compete in the men’s 10,000m final, while Manpreet Kaur and Krishna Jayasankar Menon will contest the women’s shot put final.
Sindhushree Ganesha and Baranica Elangovan will be in action in the women’s pole vault final, while Damneet Singh and Praveen Kumar will compete in the men’s hammer throw final.
The men’s 100m semi-finals will also take place, with Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh looking to progress to the final.
Anamika and Pooja will complete the final three events of the heptathlon, while the men’s and women’s 400m competitions will also begin.
India therefore ended Day 1 of athletics with two medals – one silver and one bronze. Seema’s 10,000m bronze ended a 16-year wait in the event, while the mixed relay silver continued India’s podium run in the event from Hangzhou 2022.
Who were India’s medallists on Day 1 of athletics action at Asian Games 2026?
Seema Kumari won bronze in women’s 10,000m while the Indian 4x400m mixed relay team claimed silver.
How many medals did India win in athletics on Day 1 at the Asian Games 2026?
India clinched two medals on the opening day of athletics action at the Asian Games 2026.
Which Indian athletes will be in action on Day 2 of Asian Games 2026?
Gurindervir Singh (Men’s 10,000m) Manpreet Kaur and Krishna Jayasankar Menon (Women’s shot put), Sindhushree Ganesh and Baranica Elangovan (Women’s pole vault), Damneet Singh and Praveen Kumar (Men’s hammer throw) will be some of the athletes in action.
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