India’s Anamika K.A. and Pooja made a solid start to their Asian Games 2026 heptathlon campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, remaining within striking distance of the leaders after the opening two events.
After the 100m hurdles and high jump, Anamika leads the Indian duo in 5th place with 1,771 points, while Pooja is close behind in 6th with 1,761 points.
Pooja Faster in 100m Hurdles
The heptathlon began with the 100m hurdles, where Pooja produced the faster performance of the two Indian athletes.
Pooja clocked 14.61 seconds to collect her opening points, while Anamika finished in 14.80 seconds.
The results left Pooja ahead of her teammate after the first event.
Anamika Responds in High Jump
The competition then moved to the high jump, where Anamika made up ground on the leaderboard.
She cleared 1.74 metres, while Pooja managed 1.71 metres.
Anamika’s stronger high-jump performance moved her ahead of Pooja, with the Indian pair separated by only 10 points after two events.
Heptathlon Standings After Two Events
| Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fatemeh Mohitizadeh | Iran | 1,971 |
| Natsumi Kajiki | Japan | 1,858 |
| Anamika K.A. | India | 1,771 |
| Pooja | India | 1,761 |
Iran’s Fatemeh Mohitizadeh has established the early lead with 1,971 points, while Japan’s Natsumi Kajiki sits second on 1,858 points.
Anamika and Pooja occupy third and fourth among the athletes listed above, with both Indians still within reach of the leading group.
Five Events Remain
The heptathlon is far from decided, with five events still to come: the shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin throw and 800m.
The remaining events will provide plenty of opportunities for the standings to change.
For India, Anamika and Pooja will look to build on their opening performances and remain in contention as the competition moves through the demanding final five events.
Haryana’s Pooja delivered the performance of her career at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026, winning the women’s heptathlon title with 5,619 points and surpassing the Asian Games qualification standard of 5,605 points.
The all-rounder produced a remarkable display of consistency across all seven disciplines, registering five personal bests during the competition. Her outstanding performances culminated in a memorable victory at India’s premier domestic athletics championship, securing both the national title and a place at the upcoming Asian Games.
Pooja began her campaign strongly with 14.48s in the 100m hurdles, earning 912 points, before clearing 1.73m in the high jump to add 891 points. She then produced a personal best of 11.61m in the shot put, collecting 635 points.
Her momentum continued with another lifetime best of 26.15s in the 200m, which earned 784 points. In the long jump, she recorded a personal best of 5.78m for 783 points, followed by another breakthrough performance in the javelin throw, where she achieved 44.88m, adding 761 points to her tally.
Heading into the final event, the 800m, Pooja required a strong performance to reach the Asian Games qualification standard. Rising to the occasion, she produced yet another personal best, clocking 2:17.85s to take her overall score to 5,619 points, comfortably surpassing the required benchmark.
Her ability to deliver five personal bests in seven events highlights the exceptional quality of her performance and reflects the progress she has made as a combined-events athlete. Saving one of her finest competitions for the biggest domestic meet of the season demonstrated both her consistency and competitive temperament.
With the Interstate title secured and Asian Games qualification achieved, Pooja has firmly established herself among India’s leading heptathletes. Her outstanding all-round display stands as one of the most impressive performances of the championships and provides a significant boost for Indian combined events ahead of the continental competition.
Haryana’s Pooja is on the verge of a memorable performance at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026, leading the women’s heptathlon standings with 4,766 points after the completion of six events.
The all-rounder has enjoyed an outstanding competition so far, delivering consistent performances across multiple disciplines while registering four personal bests during the first six events. Her impressive display has placed her at the top of the leaderboard heading into the decisive 800m, the final event of the heptathlon.
Pooja began her campaign with a 14.48s run in the 100m hurdles, earning 912 points, before clearing 1.73m in the high jump to add 891 points. She continued her strong run with a personal best of 11.61m in the shot put, collecting 635 points.
Her momentum carried into the track events, where she clocked a personal best of 26.15s in the 200m for 784 points. In the long jump, another lifetime best of 5.78m earned her 783 points, while she concluded the sixth event with yet another personal best in the javelin throw, recording 44.88m to collect 761 points.
With four personal bests already achieved during the competition, Pooja has demonstrated remarkable consistency and composure under pressure. Her performances across the six disciplines have positioned her within reach of a major milestone.
The focus now shifts to the concluding 800m, where she will need a performance close to her personal best of 2:18.58 to reach the Asian Games qualification standard of 5,605 points. The final race will determine whether her exceptional all-round effort translates into a place at the continental event.
Having already produced one of the finest competitions of her career, Pooja now stands just one race away from potentially securing Asian Games qualification. All eyes will be on the 800m as she looks to complete an outstanding heptathlon campaign with one final big performance.
