India finished second in the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 medals tally after the final day, in Gumi, South Korea.
India failed to add a gold on Saturday, winning three silver and bronze medals each.
Animesh Kujur clinched bronze in the men’s 200m event, with a National Record-breaking run (20.32s).
China ended on top with 26 medals (15 gold), followed by India and Japan.
India also set a new national record, a string of personal bests, and six final-day medals with the country signing off with a total haul of 24 medals here on Saturday.
While gold proved elusive on the final day, Indian athletes delivered a series of gritty performances to secure three silver and as many bronze medals.
Parul Chaudhary claimed her second silver of the meet with a strong run in the women’s 5000m, clocking 15:15.33s to finish second, adding to the silver she had earlier won in the 3000m steeplechase.
While javelin thrower Sachin Yadav earned his silver with a personal best effort, the women’s 4x100m relay team, featuring Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, Srabani Nanda, and Nithya Gandhe, clocked a season-best 43.86s to bag India’s final silver.
Sprinter Animesh Kujur blazed to a national record of 20.32s to clinch a a bronze in the men’s 200m for India.
Middle distance runner Pooja recorded a personal best to take bronze in the women’s 800m, while Asian Games medallist Vithya Ramraj secured the third place in the women’s 400m hurdles.
India thus wrapped up the championships with 8 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals.
While the overall count fell short of the 27 medals won in the previous edition, the contingent has improved on the gold tally, increasing it from 6 to 8.
Personal bests for Sachin and Yashvir
In the absence of two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, both the Indian javelin throwers produced personal best efforts.
Rising star Sachin sent his spear to 85.16m in his last attempt to finish behind Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, who was appearing in his first competition since the Paris Games last year. The Pakistani fetched the gold with a 86.40m throw. Hailing from a farmer’s family at Khekra village near Baghpat in UP, the 25-year-old Sachin had a previous personal best of 84.39m.
Fellow Indian Yashvir Singh also impressed with a personal best of 82.57m for a fifth-place finish.
India’s first men’s sprint medal in a decade
India’s first medal of the day came through Kujur, who ended a decade-long wait for the country in the men’s 200m with a bronze.
It was India’s first in the event since Dharambir Singh’s bronze in the 2015 edition.
The 21-year-old from Odisha delivered a standout performance, clocking a national record of 20.32 seconds, bettering his own mark of 20.40s set earlier this year at the National Federation Senior Athletics Competition.
Japan’s Towa Uzawa won gold with a time of 20.12s, while Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Abdu I Atafi took silver in 20.31s.
Women’s 4x100m relay team win silver
Indian women’s 4x100m relay team bagged a silver medal after finishing with a time of 43.86 seconds. The Indian quartet of Srabani Nanda, Abhinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, and Nithya Gandhe ran in lane three and delivered a clean baton exchange in all three changeovers, stayed in medal contention throughout the race, and pulled ahead of Thailand in the final stretch.
China won gold with 43.28 seconds, while Thailand took bronze in 44.26 seconds. This result is a major success for India’s women’s relay unit, which has shown consistent form in recent months. Srabani Nanda, one of the experienced members, has been in strong form and just recently won the 100m and 200m at the Indian Open Athletics in April. Another member, Abhinaya Rajarajan, has shown good form as well, and last year, she clocked a personal best of 11.62 seconds in the 100m. Sneha SS, known for her explosive start, had recorded 11.41 seconds in the 100m last June.
FULL LIST OF INDIAN MEDAL WINNERS
Men’s 20km race walk – Servin Sebastian (Bronze)
Men’s 10,000m – Gulveer Singh (Gold)
Women’s 400m – Rupal Chaudhary (Silver)
Men’s 1500m – Yoonus Shah (Bronze)
Women’s 1500m – Pooja (Silver)
Decathlon – Tejaswin Shankar (Silver)
Men’s Triple Jump – Praveen Chithravel (Silver)
Mixed 4x400m relay – Gold
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase – Avinash Sable (Gold)
Women’s 100m hurdles – Jyothi Yarraji (Gold)
Women’s 4x400m Relay – Gold
Men’s 4x400m Relay – Silver
Women’s Long Jump – Ancy Sojan (Silver)
Women’s Long Jump – Shaili Singh (Bronze)
Men’s 5000m – Gulveer Singh (Gold)
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase – Parul Chaudhary (Silver, with National Record)
Women’s High Jump – Pooja (Gold)
Heptathlon – Nandini Agasara (Gold)
Men’s 200m – Animesh Kujur (Bronze, with National Record)
Women’s 400m hurdles – Vithya Ramraj (Bronze)
Men’s Javelin Throw – Sachin Yadav (Silver)
Women’s 5000m – Parul Chaudhary (Silver)
Women’s 800m – Pooja (Bronze)
Women’s 4x100m Relay – Silver
