Who won gold at the Indian Open U23 Athletics 2026? Forty champions were crowned over three days at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, from 16 to 18 October. Rushiprasad Desai, Unnathi Bollanda, Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale and Prachi Devkar led a meet where new records were set in 11 events.
Day 1 gave us eight finals and five records. Day 2 was the busiest, with 14 titles decided. Day 3 then closed the meet with 18 more golds, including two hammer records. This page therefore lists every gold medallist, day by day, with their team and winning mark.
Indian Open U23 Athletics 2026 gold medallists at a glance
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- Meet: 6th Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition 2026
- Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Dates: 16 to 18 October 2026
- Finals: 40 in total, with 8 on Day 1, 14 on Day 2 and 18 on Day 3
- Meet records: 11 events (six men’s, five women’s)
- Double gold: Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale (5000m and 10,000m) and Prachi Devkar (1500m and 3000m steeplechase)
- Most golds: Madhya Pradesh and IOCL, four each
- Fastest man: Rushiprasad Desai (Maharashtra), 10.29 in the 100m semi-final
- Fastest woman: Unnathi Bollanda (Reliance), 11.55 in the 100m semi-final
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Day 1 gold medallists (16 October): eight champions, five records
Eight finals were decided on the opening day, and eight different teams won them. Records fell in the sprints, the pole vault and the women’s discus.
Rushiprasad Desai: the fastest man in Jaipur
Maharashtra’s Rushiprasad Desai ran 10.29 in his 100m semi-final, with a legal tailwind of 0.7 m/s. That broke Animesh Kujur’s meet record of 10.38 from Patna in 2024. In the final, he ran into a 0.8 m/s headwind but still won clearly in 10.35.
Behind him, three men clocked 10.46. The photo finish then split them by thousandths, and Savin Thingalaya of Reliance took silver.
Unnathi Bollanda takes the women’s 100m
Unnathi Bollanda of Reliance broke the women’s 100m record with 11.55 in her semi-final (wind +1.2 m/s). She then won the final in 11.62, into a 0.6 m/s headwind. Kiruthika of Tamil Nadu took silver in 11.74.
Dev Meena clears 5.30m to beat his own record
Dev Meena of Madhya Pradesh cleared 5.30m in the men’s pole vault, improving his 2024 meet record of 5.20m. His teammate Kuldeep Kumar matched the height. However, Meena won on countback because he cleared it at the first attempt.
Priya wins the discus with her final throw
The women’s discus was the contest of the day. All three medallists threw past the old meet record of 50.73m. Priya of Haryana saved her best for her sixth and last attempt, 53.07m, to take gold from Nikita Kumari (51.92m).
The other Day 1 champions
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- Sonam Parmar (IOCL) won the women’s 5000m in 17:03.41, two hundredths ahead of teammate Sunita Devi.
- Mahek Nasrin Dayan Khan (Odisha) won the women’s high jump on countback at 1.69m.
- Sheeba D (Kerala) won the women’s long jump with 6.29m.
- Munesh (BSF) won the women’s shot put with 14.27m.
| Event | Gold medallist | Team | Winning mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s 100m | Rushiprasad Desai | Maharashtra | 10.35 (MR 10.29 in semi) |
| Men’s pole vault | Dev Meena | Madhya Pradesh | 5.30m (MR) |
| Women’s 100m | Unnathi Bollanda | Reliance | 11.62 (MR 11.55 in semi) |
| Women’s 5000m | Sonam Parmar | IOCL | 17:03.41 |
| Women’s high jump | Mahek Nasrin Dayan Khan | Odisha | 1.69m |
| Women’s long jump | Sheeba D | Kerala | 6.29m |
| Women’s shot put | Munesh | BSF | 14.27m |
| Women’s discus throw | Priya | Haryana | 53.07m (MR) |
Nirbhay Choudhary of Delhi also broke the men’s hammer record in qualifying with 65.43m. His final, however, came on Day 3.
Day 2 gold medallists (17 October): 14 titles and two more records
Day 2 had the busiest programme, with eight men’s and six women’s finals. Bharatpreet Singh and Nitika Anup Akare set meet records, while Tamil Nadu swept the men’s long jump.
Bharatpreet Singh comes from behind in the discus
Bharatpreet Singh of Navy trailed at halfway, then threw 54.70m to win the men’s discus. That beat the meet record of 53.66m, set by Haryana’s Abhimanyu in 2024. Vaibhav of Himachal Pradesh, who had led earlier, took silver with 53.65m, Telangana Today reported.
Nitika Anup Akare raises the women’s pole vault record
Nitika Anup Akare of Madhya Pradesh cleared 4.15m to win the women’s pole vault. The old record of 4.00m belonged to Tamil Nadu’s Pavithra from 2022. Two years ago, Nitika took silver at this meet with 3.50m, so she has added 65cm since.
Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale starts his double
Maharashtra’s Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale won the men’s 5000m in 14:07.77, just 0.64 ahead of Satyam of Uttar Pradesh. His time was only 1.67 seconds outside the meet record. He would return on Day 3 for the 10,000m.
Prachi Devkar wins the 1500m
Prachi Devkar of IOCL won the women’s 1500m in 4:25.87, holding off Rashi of Himachal Pradesh (4:26.15). It was the first of her two golds.
Tamil Nadu sweeps the men’s long jump
C Tharun Vikash won the men’s long jump with 7.70m. His Tamil Nadu teammates R Chitaranjan (7.64m) and Sharon Jestus J (7.55m) completed a clean sweep.
The other Day 2 champions
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- Sahil Malik (NCOE Trivandrum) won the men’s 400m in 46.27.
- Ayesha Khanam (Rajasthan) won the women’s 400m in 54.27, a home win for the Jaipur crowd.
- Shaik Roshan (Andhra Pradesh) won the men’s 110m hurdles in 14.14.
- Sabita Toppo (Odisha) won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.66, one hundredth outside the meet record.
- Anurag Singh Kaler (Railway Sports) won the men’s shot put with 18.33m.
- Lajo Saroj (Madhya Pradesh) won the women’s 10,000m in 36:26.07.
- Aarti (Haryana) won the women’s half marathon race walk in 1:49:52.
- Abhijit Bhosale (Air Force) came from behind to win the decathlon with 6,897 points.
- Rahul Sarnaliya (Uttarakhand) crossed first in the men’s 1500m (3:50.29), but the official sheet lists that result as withheld.
| Event | Gold medallist | Team | Winning mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s 400m | Sahil Malik | NCOE Trivandrum | 46.27 |
| Men’s 1500m | Rahul Sarnaliya | Uttarakhand | 3:50.29 (result withheld) |
| Men’s 5000m | Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale | Maharashtra | 14:07.77 |
| Men’s 110m hurdles | Shaik Roshan | Andhra Pradesh | 14.14 |
| Men’s long jump | C Tharun Vikash | Tamil Nadu | 7.70m |
| Men’s shot put | Anurag Singh Kaler | Railway Sports | 18.33m |
| Men’s discus throw | Bharatpreet Singh | Navy | 54.70m (MR) |
| Men’s decathlon | Abhijit Bhosale | Air Force | 6,897 pts |
| Women’s 400m | Ayesha Khanam | Rajasthan | 54.27 |
| Women’s 1500m | Prachi Devkar | IOCL | 4:25.87 |
| Women’s 10,000m | Lajo Saroj | Madhya Pradesh | 36:26.07 |
| Women’s 100m hurdles | Sabita Toppo | Odisha | 13.66 |
| Women’s pole vault | Nitika Anup Akare | Madhya Pradesh | 4.15m (MR) |
| Women’s half marathon race walk | Aarti | Haryana | 1:49:52 |
Day 3 gold medallists (18 October): 18 champions and four records
The final day decided 18 titles, ten for men and eight for women. New meet records came in the women’s hammer, the men’s 10,000m, the men’s 400m hurdles and the heptathlon, while the men’s hammer record was improved again.
Nirbhay Choudhary breaks the hammer record twice
Nirbhay Choudhary of Delhi had already broken the men’s hammer record in qualifying. In the final, he went further with 66.32m. The previous mark of 64.75m belonged to Nitesh Poonia from 2022. Mohammad Shahban of Uttar Pradesh also beat the old record with 65.27m for silver.
Haqikat Grewal saves her best for last
Punjab’s Haqikat Grewal led the women’s hammer from her second throw. Then her final attempt landed at 55.46m, beating Tanya Chaudhary’s meet record of 54.42m. Soniya of Rajasthan took silver with 52.16m.
Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale completes the distance double
The men’s 10,000m was the race of the meet. Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale won in 29:34.52, with Satyam (29:36.45) and Mohit Choudhary (29:37.19) close behind. All three broke Puneet Yadav’s 2022 meet record of 29:44.64. As a result, Bhosale completed a 5000m and 10,000m double, with Satyam second both times.
Karna Bag wins the 400m hurdles by one hundredth
Karna Bag of West Bengal won the men’s 400m hurdles in 50.27, just ahead of Aryan Prajwal Kashyapa of JSW in 50.28. Both men beat the 2025 meet record of 50.29 set by Kerala’s Arjun Pradeep.
Prachi Devkar and Bidisha Kundu finish strong
Prachi Devkar of IOCL added the women’s 3000m steeplechase (10:26.21) to her 1500m title, finishing almost ten seconds clear. Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Bidisha Kundu won the heptathlon with 5,260 points, a new meet record and 460 points ahead of the runner-up.
The other Day 3 champions
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- Yuvaraj E (Tamil Nadu) won the men’s 200m in 21.01, after finishing sixth in the 100m.
- Sonika (Haryana) edged Samriti Jamwal by one hundredth in the women’s 200m, 23.97 to 23.98.
- Akashdeep Singh (Punjab) won the men’s 800m in 1:50.10.
- Prateeksha Yadav (IOCL) won the women’s 800m in 2:06.92.
- Ranvir Kumar Singh (Gujarat) won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:59.46.
- Priyanka Madivalappa Olekar (Karnataka) won the women’s 400m hurdles in 1:00.25.
- Aaditya Raghuvanshi (Madhya Pradesh) won the men’s high jump on countback at 2.10m.
- Yuvaraj K (Tamil Nadu) won the men’s triple jump with 15.64m.
- Marymukta Soreng (Odisha) won the women’s triple jump with 12.57m.
- Shashank Patil (Karnataka) won the men’s javelin with 76.16m.
- Deepika (JSW) won the women’s javelin with 51.43m.
- Nitin Gupta (Uttar Pradesh) won the men’s half marathon race walk in 1:29:51.
| Event | Gold medallist | Team | Winning mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s 200m | Yuvaraj E | Tamil Nadu | 21.01 |
| Men’s 800m | Akashdeep Singh | Punjab | 1:50.10 |
| Men’s 10,000m | Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale | Maharashtra | 29:34.52 (MR) |
| Men’s 400m hurdles | Karna Bag | West Bengal | 50.27 (MR) |
| Men’s 3000m steeplechase | Ranvir Kumar Singh | Gujarat | 8:59.46 |
| Men’s high jump | Aaditya Raghuvanshi | Madhya Pradesh | 2.10m |
| Men’s triple jump | Yuvaraj K | Tamil Nadu | 15.64m |
| Men’s hammer throw | Nirbhay Choudhary | Delhi | 66.32m (MR) |
| Men’s javelin throw | Shashank Patil | Karnataka | 76.16m |
| Men’s half marathon race walk | Nitin Gupta | Uttar Pradesh | 1:29:51 |
| Women’s 200m | Sonika | Haryana | 23.97 |
| Women’s 800m | Prateeksha Yadav | IOCL | 2:06.92 |
| Women’s 400m hurdles | Priyanka Madivalappa Olekar | Karnataka | 1:00.25 |
| Women’s 3000m steeplechase | Prachi Devkar | IOCL | 10:26.21 |
| Women’s triple jump | Marymukta Soreng | Odisha | 12.57m |
| Women’s hammer throw | Haqikat Grewal | Punjab | 55.46m (MR) |
| Women’s javelin throw | Deepika | JSW | 51.43m |
| Women’s heptathlon | Bidisha Kundu | West Bengal | 5,260 pts (MR) |
Gold medals by team: Madhya Pradesh and IOCL lead
Twenty-two teams won at least one gold across the three days. Madhya Pradesh won four, in the jumps and the 10,000m, while IOCL won four women’s middle- and long-distance titles.
| Team | Golds | Gold medallists |
|---|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | 4 | Dev Meena, Nitika Anup Akare, Lajo Saroj, Aaditya Raghuvanshi |
| IOCL | 4 | Sonam Parmar, Prachi Devkar (2), Prateeksha Yadav |
| Tamil Nadu | 3 | C Tharun Vikash, Yuvaraj E, Yuvaraj K |
| Odisha | 3 | Mahek Nasrin Dayan Khan, Sabita Toppo, Marymukta Soreng |
| Haryana | 3 | Priya, Aarti, Sonika |
| Maharashtra | 3 | Rushiprasad Desai, Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale (2) |
| Karnataka | 2 | Priyanka Madivalappa Olekar, Shashank Patil |
| West Bengal | 2 | Karna Bag, Bidisha Kundu |
| Punjab | 2 | Akashdeep Singh, Haqikat Grewal |
| 13 teams | 1 each | Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Reliance, JSW, Delhi, Gujarat, Kerala, Air Force, BSF, Navy, Andhra Pradesh, NCOE Trivandrum, Railway Sports |
This count covers 39 finals. It leaves out the men’s 1500m, which the official AFI sheet lists as withheld. AFI does not publish a team table, so this is our own count. Haryana, however, won the most medals overall, with 13.
What comes next for India’s U23 champions
The junior season now moves to the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 in Chennai, from 23 to 27 October. The full result book, with heats and every place in each final, is on the AFI competition page. For every other meet this season, see our athletics results page.