Background
Avinash Sable was born on 13 September 1994 in Mandva, a village in Maharashtra's Beed district. He grew up in a farming family, where daily life involved physical work and limited access to transport. As a child, he regularly ran or walked several kilometres to school, developing the endurance that would later become central to his athletic career
Breakthrough and records
Avinash Sable emerged as a leading Indian steeplechaser after winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2022 Asian Games. He set the Indian national record of 8:09.91 in the 3000m steeplechase at the Paris Diamond League in July 2024. At the Paris Olympics, he became the first Indian to reach the men's 3000m steeplechase final, finishing 11th. He later won gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.
Current Season
The 2026 season has centred on Sable's return from knee surgery and his effort to regain competitive sharpness. His training included rehabilitation and endurance work before a gradual return to race-specific steeplechase sessions. Coach Kalyan Chaudhary has supported his preparation, while Sable has trained at multiple facilities in India. His return to competition after the 2025 injury has been a key storyline in the build-up to the Asian Games.
In their own words
“Records are not my targets this year, only target is the Olympics,” — Avinash Sable, speaking to NNIS Sports, June 2024, after winning the men’s 3000m steeplechase at the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in 8:31.75. The Paris Olympics-bound athlete had competed in only two 3000m steeplechase races that season.
Asian Games 2026
Sable entered the 2026 Asian Games in Japan as the defending men's 3000m steeplechase champion and the national record holder. His campaign followed a lengthy rehabilitation period and a return to competition in the steeplechase.
Injury and Comeback
In 2025, Sable suffered a serious knee injury during the Monaco Diamond League, requiring surgery and months of rehabilitation. He returned to the steeplechase in 2026, working to rebuild his fitness and race readiness ahead of the Asian Games.
