Asian Athletics: Women’s 4x400m Relay Team Ends 12-Year Gold Drought, Men Take Silver

Gumi (South Korea) — Indian athletics celebrated a memorable evening at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships with a series of remarkable performances. The highlight was the women’s 4x400m relay team breaking a 12-year gold medal drought, alongside a record-setting victory by steeplechase star Avinash Sable.

The Indian women’s 4x400m relay squad—Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Rajitha Kunja, and Subha Venkatesan—delivered a stunning performance, finishing in 3:34.18 to claim the gold. Their seamless baton exchanges and fierce determination helped them outpace their Asian rivals, marking a significant milestone in India’s track and field history and signaling the revival of the women’s relay on the continental stage.

The men’s 4x400m relay team also impressed, with Jay Kumar, Dharamveer Chaudhary, Manu T.S., and Vishal T.K. clocking 3:03.67 to secure the silver medal in a closely fought final. Although narrowly missing gold, their effort reinforced India’s growing strength in relay events.

Earlier in the meet, Avinash Sable made history by becoming the first Indian man in 36 years to win gold in the 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Championships. He recorded a season-best time of 8:20.92, overtaking Japan’s Yutaro Niinae in the final lap to claim a commanding victory. Qatar’s Zakaria Elahlaami finished third with a personal best of 8:27.12.

India also achieved a double podium finish in the women’s long jump event. Ancy Sojan Edappilly won silver with a jump of 6.33m, closely followed by Shaili Singh who took bronze with 6.30m. Iran’s Reihaneh Mobini Arani secured gold with a leap of 6.40m.

With five gold medals now in their tally, India’s athletes are enjoying a dominant campaign, underscoring their rising status in Asian athletics and setting a strong foundation for future global competitions.

Earlier, Team India successfully defended their 4x400m mixed relay title at the Championships. The quartet of Rupal Chaudhary, Santosh Kumar, Vishal T.K., and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3:18.12 to win the race and retain their crown at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.

With inputs from IANS