Background
Rajesh Ramesh was born in Peralam, Tamil Nadu, on March 28, 1999, and came into athletics through sprinting before specialising in the 400m. He studied at DG Vaishnav College in Chennai. He works with Indian Railways and developed into a key member of India’s 4x400m relay team. Ramesh won gold and silver in the mixed and men’s 4x400m relays at the 2022 Asian Games and represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Breakthrough and records
His breakthrough came at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he helped India win gold in the mixed 4x400m relay — establishing himself as a key member of the national relay programme. He also holds the Indian 4x400m relay national record as part of the quartet that ran 2:59.05 at the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok. The performance took India under three minutes and strengthened the country’s position among Asia’s leading relay teams.
Current season
The 2026 season opened with a 45.26-second victory at the Indian Open 400m Competition in Thiruvananthapuram. He followed it with 45.31 seconds for second place at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi. At the Indian Athletics Final Series, he clocked 45.80 seconds for fifth. A key member of India’s relay programme, he is now preparing for the 400m and relay events at the Asian Games in September.
In their own words
“Yes, I’ll be participating in the Open 400m meet. Training is going well, there are no injuries, and everything is going smoothly.” — Rajesh Ramesh, speaking to NNIS Sports, March 2026, ahead of his season opener at the Indian Open 400m meet in Thiruvananthapuram. He had clocked three sub-46-second timings in 2025.
