Bureau Report
Asian Relays Championships 2026 | June 20–21
After a Federation Cup that produced national records in sprints, pole vault, and high jump, the spotlight now shifts to the track’s most collective discipline — the relay. India’s relay teams are set for action across two days at the Asian Relays Championships 2026, with mixed, men’s, and women’s squads all competing for continental honours.
The Schedule (All Timings IST)
Saturday, June 20
- 4x100m Relay Mixed Final — 4:40 PM
- 4x400m Relay Mixed Final — 6:05 PM
Sunday, June 21
- 4x100m Women’s Relay Final — 4:50 PM
- 4x400m Women’s Relay Final — 6:00 PM
- 4x400m Men’s Relay Final — 6:17 PM
Five finals. Two days. A packed and high-stakes relay calendar for Team India.
The Squads
Men’s 4x400m & Mixed 4x400m
India’s men’s quarter-mile stocks run deep, with eight athletes named across the pool for these events: Theerthesh P Shetty, Avinash Kumar, Setu Mishra, Nihal William, S Santhosh, Rince Joseph, Suraj Alagar Raja, Mohit Kumar, and Barath Sridhar. With this much depth on the roster, India’s selectors have options to fine-tune their strongest possible combination for both the standalone men’s final and the mixed relay.
Mixed 4x100m
A compact trio anchors India’s mixed sprint relay effort: Animesh Kujur, Harsh Santosh Raut, and Pranav Gaurav. Kujur arrives with serious pedigree — having recently broken the national 100m record at Federation Cup with a blistering 10.15s. His sprint speed could prove decisive in what is traditionally one of the most unpredictable relay formats on the circuit.
Women’s 4x400m & Mixed 4x400m
India’s women’s quarter-mile group is stacked with experience and emerging talent: Rashdeep Kaur, MR Poovamma, Ansa Babu, Vijaykumari GK, Saloni Nagar, Neeru Pathak, Subha Venkatesan, and Gowrinandana. The inclusion of MR Poovamma — one of Indian athletics’ most decorated relay campaigners — brings invaluable big-stage experience to a squad otherwise blending fresh faces into the mix.
Women’s 4x100m & Mixed 4x100m
India’s sprint relay hopes rest with Nithya Gandhe, Tamanna, Sneha SS, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Srabani Nanda. Srabani Nanda’s experience at the international level adds composure to a sprint unit that will need slick exchanges to compete with the continent’s fastest nations.
Why the Relays Matter
Relay events carry a unique weight in athletics — they are tests of speed, yes, but also of precision, trust, and team chemistry. A single fumbled baton exchange can undo months of individual training in a fraction of a second. For India, a nation that has produced increasingly competitive individual sprinters and quarter-milers in 2026, the relay events are where that talent must come together as one unit against Asia’s best.
With strong individual performances already on the board this season — national records in the 100m, depth in the 400m, and rising sprint talent across the board — India’s relay squads arrive in good spirits and even better form.
Time to Cheer
Two days. Five finals. Squads built on a blend of seasoned campaigners and hungry newcomers. India’s baton-carriers are ready to take on the continent’s finest.
Get behind Team India as the Asian Relays Championships 2026 gets underway.