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India clinched three gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday, led by Jyothi Yarraji, Avinash Sable, and the women's 4x400m relay team, boosting their overall medal tally to 14.
It rained gold for India at the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday, with the country's top athletes Jyothi Yarraji and Avinash Sable clinching individual titles, while the women's 4x400m relay team delivered a powerful performance to cap off a golden day in South Korea's Gumi.
Avinash Sable, the national record holder, lived up to his billing by storming to victory in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a season-best 8:20.92s. His triumph ended a 36-year gold medal drought for India in the event at the Asian Championships. Sable became only the third Indian to win gold in men’s steeplechase after Harbel Singh (1975) and Dina Ram (1989).
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"I was confident of winning gold as I was best in the field," said Sable, who has already secured his spot at the World Championships scheduled for September.
Moments later, Jyothi Yarraji produced a late burst in the women’s 100m hurdles to secure her second consecutive Asian Championships gold with a new championship record of 12.96s, surpassing China's Su Yiping’s 2000 mark of 12.99s.
"It was a good day. I am happy to break the 13 second barrier this season," Jyothi said after her win.
Relay Stars Extend India's Dominance
The women’s 4x400m relay team of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha, and Subha Venkatesan added to India’s tally with a stellar gold medal run. The quartet clocked a season-best 3:34.18s to clinch the title, outpacing Vietnam (3:34.77s) and Sri Lanka (3:36.67s). This marked India's 10th overall gold in the event and their first since 2013.
The gold was Rupal's third medal of the championship, following a mixed team gold and an individual silver in the 400m. Subha also celebrated her second gold, having previously stood atop the podium in the mixed relay.
Men's Relay Team Bags Silver in Close Finish
In the men’s 4x400m relay, the Indian team comprising Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, and Vishal TK put up their best show yet, clocking 3:03.67s to win silver. Qatar narrowly edged India with a gold-winning time of 3:03.52s, while China settled for bronze at 3:03.73s.
Mixed Results in Long Jump and Distance Races
India also picked up a silver and bronze in the women’s long jump. Anci Sojan Edapilly managed 6.33m for silver, while Shaili Singh landed at 6.30m for bronze. Both fell short of their personal bests, with Shaili particularly underperforming—possibly due to a wet track. Iran's Reihaneh Mobini Arani won the gold with a leap of 6.40m.
In the women’s 10,000m final, Sanjeevani Jadhav finished fifth with a season-best 33:08.17s, closely followed by Seema in sixth (33:08.23s). Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei dominated the race with a stellar 30:48.44s.
India’s Medal Tally Climbs to 14
With three gold, two silver, and one bronze on Thursday, India’s overall tally climbed to 14 medals. They remain second in the overall standings behind China, which leads with 21 medals including 12 golds.
Looking ahead, India’s Nandini Agasara is in a strong position to add to the medal haul on Friday, leading the heptathlon standings after four events with a score of 3610. Another podium finish could be on the cards for the Indian contingent.
