India Shine Bright With 19 Medals At Asian U20 Athletics, PM Hails Effort

India finished a strong and consistent campaign at the 22nd Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, securing second place in the overall medal tally with a total of 19 medals , including 10 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze , underlining the growing depth of the country’s junior athletics programme. China topped the standings with 14 gold, 9 silver and 2 bronze, while Japan ended third with 5 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze. India’s performance also marked one of its most productive outings at the continental junior level in recent years, with athletes delivering across track, field and relay events over the four-day competition.

The final day proved especially productive as India added three more gold medals and multiple podium finishes to consolidate its second-place finish. The standout performance came from the women’s 4x400m relay team of Bhumika Sanjay Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Sehnoor Bawa and anchor Neeru Pathak , who clinched gold in 3:38.07 seconds , breaking the previous meet record of 3:38.20 set by Japan in 2018. The result highlighted India’s continued strength in relay events, particularly in the quarter-mile category.

Earlier in the day, Muskan opened the gold rush for India by winning the women’s 5,000m title in 16:53.08 , showcasing strong endurance and race control. In the men’s 800m , Venkatram Reddy Mogali delivered another gold with a personal best timing of 1:48.27 , further strengthening India’s middle-distance credentials at the junior level.

India also came close to additional titles, with discus thrower Nishchay producing a personal best of 60.10m to win silver after narrowly missing gold. The women’s 4x100m relay team of Kajal Hirabhai Vaja, Bhavana G, Aarti and Nipam added another silver with a timing of 45.05 seconds , reflecting depth in sprint events as well.

Relay events continued to be a major highlight throughout the championship. The men’s 4x400m relay team comprising Piyush Raj, Sayed Sabeer, Ranjith Kumar and Mohammed Ashfaq produced a strong effort, finishing in 3:05.54 , which bettered the previous meet record of 3:07.38 set in 1999, but had to settle for bronze behind China and Qatar . The women’s 4x400m record-breaking gold remained India’s most dominant relay performance of the meet.

India’s medal charge had been built steadily over the previous days, with multiple golds across field and track events, including standout performances such as Pooja’s record-breaking high jump of 1.93m . Across the competition, Indian athletes consistently produced personal bests, meet records and breakthrough performances, reinforcing the country’s rising stature in Asian junior athletics and setting a strong platform for future global events.