Asian U23 Athletics Championships 2026 Ordos: India Secures 16 Medals; Relay Teams and Javelin Lead Gold Haul
The Indian track and field contingent concluded a highly competitive campaign at the inaugural edition of the Asian U23 Athletics Championships 2026 in Ordos, the People's Republic of China. Staged from July 9 to 12, 2026, the continental event saw close to 50 Indian athletes contest for honors, finishing fourth in the overall standing with a total haul of 16 medals—comprising three golds, four silvers, and nine bronzes.
Hosts China topped the final standings with 23 gold medals, followed by Japan with seven, and Uzbekistan with five ahead of the Indian squad.
Relay Squads and Javelin Spearhead Gold Haul
India’s relay teams anchored the country's success at the championship, accounting for a total of four medals across various configurations, including two premier golds.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet—comprising Astik Pradhan, Sandramol Sabu, Setu Mishra, and Shravani Sachin Sangle—opened India’s gold account on the track with a stellar timing of 3:18.64s, narrowly edging out hosts China (3:18.74s) by a tenth of a second. The victory also marked a milestone for state sports, as Setu Mishra became the first athlete from Bihar to win an international gold medal in athletics.
The women's 4x400m relay team added the second track gold for India. The lineup consisting of Shravani Sachin Sangle, Sandramol Sabu, Pravallika Narimalla, and Nofisa Khatun combined cleanly to register a dominant time of 3:33.62s to secure the title. Shravani Sachin Sangle emerged as the most successful athlete of the Indian contingent, concluding the meet with three medals (two relay golds and an individual bronze in the 400m hurdles).
On the final day of field events, Anand Singh delivered the definitive individual performance for the nation by clinching the men's javelin throw gold. Singh registered a new personal best mark of 80.57m to claim the title, while teammate Shivam Lohakare added a bronze medal in the same event to secure a double podium finish for India.
Middle and Distance Dominance
Long-distance runner Shivaji Parashuram spearheaded India's silver medal tally by completing a remarkable distance-running double. Parashuram secured a silver medal in the men's 5000m with a timing of 14:08.19s, and followed it up with another second-place finish in the men's 10000m clocking 29:33.54s. In the 5000m race, fellow Indian Vinod Singh also joined him on the podium, claiming the bronze medal with a time of 14:23.67s.
India's middle-distance and sprint units also delivered crucial hardware on the track. Shakeel claimed a fighting bronze medal in the men's 800m clocking 1:48.78s, while Bhumeshwory Devi Huidrom secured another bronze in the women's 800m with a timing of 2:10.20s. On the short tracks, Abhay Singh powered through to win bronze in the men's 200m with a timing of 20.96 seconds.
The remaining silver medals came from the relay events, where both the women's 4x100m relay squad (Sanjana, Akshaya Saravanan, Sudheeksha Vadluri, Shreeya Rajesh) and the men's 4x400m relay squad (Astik Pradhan, Sharan Megavarnam, Setu Mishra, Aman Choudhary) finished in second place, clocking 44.68s and 3:04.24s respectively.
Asian U23 Athletics Championships 2026: Indian Medal Winners
| Medal | Athlete / Roster Pool | Event Discipline | Official Mark / Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Astik Pradhan, Sandramol Sabu, Setu Mishra, Shravani Sachin Sangle | Mixed 4x400m Relay | 3:18.64s |
| Gold | Anand Singh | Men's Javelin Throw | 80.57m |
| Gold | Shravani Sachin Sangle, Sandramol Sabu, Pravallika Narimalla, Nofisa Khatun | Women's 4x400m Relay | 3:33.62s |
| Silver | Shivaji Parashuram | Men's 5000m | 14:08.19s |
| Silver | Shivaji Parashuram | Men's 10000m | 29:33.54s |
| Silver | Sanjana, Akshaya Saravanan, Sudheeksha Vadluri, Shreeya Rajesh | Women's 4x100m Relay | 44.68s |
| Silver | Astik Pradhan, Sharan Megavarnam, Setu Mishra, Aman Choudhary | Men's 4x400m Relay | 3:04.24s |
| Bronze | Shravani Sachin Sangle | Women's 400m Hurdles | 58.09s |
| Bronze | Shivam Lohakare | Men's Javelin Throw | 77.70m |
| Bronze | Bharatpreet Singh | Men's Discus Throw | 52.91m |
| Bronze | Vinod Singh | Men's 5000m | 14:23.67s |
| Bronze | Priya | Women's Discus Throw | 50.44m |
| Bronze | Prachi Devkar | Women's 3000m Steeplechase | 10:32.69s |
| Bronze | Shakeel | Men's 800m | 1:48.78s |
| Bronze | Bhumeshwory Devi Huidrom | Women's 800m | 2:10.20s |
| Bronze | Abhay Singh | Men's 200m | 20.96s |
Technical Note: Despite initial inclusions on the official entry sheets, marquee names like Shaili Singh (Long Jump) and senior pole vault national record holder Dev Kumar Meena did not participate in the competition. As a result, the traveling Indian contingent returned empty-handed from all technical jump variations (long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault).