Manikanta Hoblidhar defended his men’s 100m title, Moumita Mondal returned from injury to win the women’s 100m hurdles, and Sebastian V S claimed the men’s triple jump gold with a lifetime best at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Manikanta clocked 10.25s to secure back-to-back titles in the men’s 100m after returning from an injury layoff of almost a year. Moumita won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.48s, edging Anjali C by just 0.02 seconds, while Sebastian produced a winning jump of 16.54m in the men’s triple jump.

The three events delivered close finishes and personal milestones, adding to the competitive action at the national championships.

Manikanta Hoblidhar Retains Men’s 100m Title

Karnataka’s Manikanta Hoblidhar successfully defended his men’s 100m title with a winning time of 10.25s, once again emerging as the fastest man at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

The sprinter made an impressive return to competition after an injury layoff of almost a year. He had already signalled his form by recording the fastest time across the semifinals, clocking 10.30s.

Manikanta then improved by another 0.05 seconds in the final to secure gold and retain his national title. His performance capped a strong comeback campaign, with the Karnataka sprinter delivering his fastest time of the championship when it mattered most.

Lalu Bhoi and Wins Complete the Podium

Railways’ Lalu Bhoi finished second in 10.43s, while SSCB’s Wins took bronze in 10.44s.

The battle for the remaining medals was particularly close, with just 0.01 seconds separating the silver and bronze medallists.

Manikanta, however, established a clear advantage at the finish, winning in 10.25s to complete his title defence.

Men’s 100m Final Results

Moumita Mondal Wins Women’s 100m Hurdles on Injury Return

Railways’ Moumita Mondal made a winning return from injury, claiming the women’s 100m hurdles title in 13.48s at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Moumita produced a strong performance to top a closely contested field, holding off All India Police’s Anjali C, who finished second in 13.50s. The difference between the two hurdlers was just 0.02 seconds.

Tamil Nadu’s Nadhini K also remained close to the leading pair, clocking 13.53s to secure third place.

Top Three Separated by Just 0.05 Seconds

The women’s 100m hurdles final delivered one of the closest finishes among the three events, with only 0.05 seconds separating the gold medallist from the bronze medallist.

Moumita’s 13.48s proved decisive, giving her the title on her return from an injury layoff. Anjali finished just behind her, while Nadhini completed the podium another 0.03 seconds later.

For Moumita, the victory marked an important milestone after her time away from competition, as she returned to the top of the podium at the national meet.

Women’s 100m Hurdles Final Results

Sebastian V S Wins Men’s Triple Jump Gold with Lifetime Best

SSCB’s Sebastian V S won the men’s triple jump title with a lifetime best of 16.54m at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Sebastian produced the winning mark to secure gold and finish ahead of Tamil Nadu’s Dinesh V, who claimed silver with 16.33m.

Dinesh’s state-mate Mohanraj took bronze with 16.29m, finishing just 4cm behind the silver medallist.

Tamil Nadu Secures Two Triple Jump Medals

Sebastian’s 16.54m effort gave him a 21cm advantage over Dinesh, while the gap between the two Tamil Nadu athletes was considerably smaller.

Dinesh held on to second place by just 4cm, with Mohanraj finishing close behind to complete the podium.

Sebastian’s lifetime best was the standout performance of the event, while Tamil Nadu’s pair of medals highlighted the close contest for the remaining positions.

Men’s Triple Jump Final Results

National Open Athletics Championships 2026: Key Results

The three finals produced a title defence, a successful injury comeback and a lifetime-best performance.

• Men’s 100m: Manikanta Hoblidhar defended his title in 10.25s after recording the fastest semifinal time of 10.30s.

• Women’s 100m hurdles: Moumita Mondal won gold in 13.48s on her return from injury, finishing 0.02 seconds ahead of Anjali C.

• Men’s triple jump: Sebastian V S claimed gold with a lifetime best of 16.54m, ahead of Dinesh V and Mohanraj.

Together, the results highlighted the competitive depth of the National Open Athletics Championships 2026, with Manikanta strengthening his position in the sprint event, Moumita making a successful return to the hurdles, and Sebastian achieving a new personal milestone in the triple jump.

The National Open Athletics Championships 2026 produced three exciting track finals, with Haryana’s Anjli breaking the 54-second barrier to win the women’s 400m gold, Tamil Nadu’s Akash Raj edging Vikrant Panchal by just 0.02 seconds in the men’s 400m, and SSCB’s Muhammed Lazan claiming the men’s 110m hurdles title with a lifetime best.

Anjli clocked 53.37s to secure her first-place finish in a closely contested women’s 400m final. Akash Raj won the men’s one-lap race in 46.24s, while Lazan recorded 13.70s in the 110m hurdles to complete a strong championship performance.

Anjli Stuns Favourites to Win Women’s 400m Gold

Haryana’s Anjli produced a breakthrough performance to win the women’s 400m title in a lifetime best of 53.37s at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

The 21-year-old broke the 54-second barrier for the first time in a registered performance, improving on her previous best of 54.05s. She had set that mark at the 2025 All India University Championships, but the performance was unregistered.

Anjli’s victory came against a competitive field that included Karnataka’s Priya Mohan and heat leader Priya Thakur. Both athletes finished within 0.19 seconds of the winner, making it a tightly contested final.

Priya Mohan and Priya Thakur Finish Just Behind

Priya Mohan took silver in 53.55s, finishing just 0.18 seconds behind Anjli. Himachal Pradesh’s Priya Thakur followed in 53.56s, only 0.01 seconds behind Mohan, to claim bronze.

The narrow margins highlighted the quality of the contest, with all three medallists finishing within 0.19 seconds of one another.

For Anjli, however, the result marked a significant personal milestone. Her 53.37s lifetime best secured the national title and improved on her previous registered-performance benchmark.

Women’s 400m Final Results

Akash Raj Edges Vikrant Panchal to Win Men’s 400m Gold

Tamil Nadu’s Akash Raj won the men’s 400m gold in a lifetime best of 46.24s, edging Vikrant Panchal in one of the closest finishes at the championships.

Akash held off Panchal by just 0.02 seconds to secure the title. Panchal, representing Railway Sports, had entered the final after producing the fastest qualifying time of 45.88s in the heats.

Despite that strong qualifying performance, Panchal narrowly missed the gold medal, finishing second in 46.26s.

SSCB’s Mijo Kurian completed the podium with 46.45s, finishing third behind the leading pair.

A Tight Finish Decides the Men’s 400m

The final underlined how little separated the leading athletes. Akash’s personal best of 46.24s proved just enough to beat Panchal, whose 46.26s secured silver.

For Akash, the victory combined a national title with a new lifetime best. Panchal also maintained his strong form from the qualifying rounds, while Mijo ensured SSCB took home a bronze medal.

Men’s 400m Final Results

Muhammed Lazan Sets Lifetime Best to Win Men’s 110m Hurdles

SSCB’s Muhammed Lazan won the men’s 110m hurdles title in a lifetime best of 13.70s at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Lazan led the field to secure gold, delivering a personal-best performance in the final. His time put him ahead of fellow SSCB athlete Graceson, who finished second in 13.85s.

Railways’ Manav R took bronze in 13.97s, completing the podium.

SSCB Secures Two Podium Places

SSCB enjoyed a strong result in the hurdles, with Lazan taking gold and Graceson finishing second. Their performances gave the team two places on the podium.

Lazan’s 13.70s was the standout mark of the final, as he combined a lifetime best with the national title. Graceson finished 0.15 seconds behind the winner, while Manav R crossed the line another 0.12 seconds later.

Men’s 110m Hurdles Final Results

National Open Athletics Championships 2026: Three Finals, Three Standout Performances

The three finals delivered a mix of personal bests and narrow finishes. Anjli broke the 54-second barrier to claim the women’s 400m title, Akash Raj beat Vikrant Panchal by 0.02 seconds in the men’s 400m, and Muhammed Lazan won the 110m hurdles with a lifetime best of 13.70s.

The results highlighted the competitive depth across the sprint and hurdles events, with Anjli, Akash and Lazan emerging as the gold medallists in their respective finals.

Who is Harita Bhadra? She is the 23-year-old sprinter from Mumbai who won India’s first women’s 200m medal at the Asian Games in eight years. In Nagoya she took bronze in 23.20 seconds, and two days later she anchored India to bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay.

Yet until 2025, Harita was a sports science student in England. This page therefore tells her whole story so far: her medals, her personal bests, her 2026 season race by race, and the jewellery brand she runs off the track.

Who is Harita Bhadra? The short answer

Harita Bhadra is an Indian sprinter who represents Maharashtra. She was born in Mumbai on 6 June 2003, according to World Athletics, and she runs the 60m, 100m and 200m.

Her 2026 season was her first full year on the track. Within those months, she won the national indoor 60m title and the national 200m title. She then ran the second-fastest 100m by an Indian woman and won two Asian Games medals.

Asian Games 2026: 200m bronze by one hundredth

In the heats on 26 September, Harita finished second in 23.31 behind Singapore’s Shanti Pereira, who won the heat in 23.10. The final followed a day later, on Sunday 27 September.

Pereira won gold in 22.78, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93. Harita, meanwhile, came off the bend behind and closed hard down the straight. As a result, she edged Japan’s Abigeirufuka Ido for bronze by just 0.01 seconds.

The medal also ended a long wait. Before Harita, the last Indian woman with an Asian Games 200m medal was Dutee Chand, who won silver at Jakarta in 2018. In fact, Dutee also clocked 23.20 in that final, as Scroll reported.

Mixed 4x100m relay bronze on the anchor leg

Two days after the 200m final, Harita ran the last leg of the mixed 4x100m relay. Gurindervir Singh, Sneha Sathyanarayana and Animesh Kujur ran the first three legs. Then Harita moved India into the bronze position in the final stretch.

India clocked 41.06 seconds behind China (40.78) and Thailand (40.87). In addition, DD News reported the time as a national record, an improvement on the 41.35 that an Indian team ran at the World Relays earlier in 2026.

Harita Bhadra’s 2026 season, race by race

Her rise came in steps. For example, her 200m best dropped from 23.58 in June to 23.14 at the national championships only days later. Similarly, her 100m best fell from 11.55 to 11.22 by September.

Harita Bhadra personal bests

All three of her personal bests came in 2026. The dates and venues below are from her World Athletics profile and our race reports.

Her 11.22 in the 100m is the second-fastest time by an Indian woman, behind only Dutee Chand’s national record of 11.17. In that race she also beat Abinaya Rajarajan (11.31), Giridharani Ravikumar (11.35) and Unnathi Bolland (11.37), according to The Logical Indian. Meanwhile, her 23.14 placed her ninth on India’s all-time 200m list.

From Loughborough to Nagoya: her story

Harita studied in England at Loughborough University, and she finished a BSc in Sports Science, Coaching and Physical Education in 2025. After that, she decided to give 2026 completely to athletics, instead of splitting her time between study and sport.

She now trains with the Reliance Foundation athletics programme in Navi Mumbai. Her season started in February, so the Asian Games came after about one year of full-time training.

However, her place in Nagoya was not certain. She was not in the first list of athletes, so the Indian Olympic Association asked the organisers to add her late. The Sports Ministry then cleared her on 2 September, PTI reported. The Games were also her first international meet for India. “This is my first time representing India,” she said after the 200m final.

Beyond the track: Dagina and Rafael Nadal

Off the track, Harita runs Dagina, a handmade jewellery brand. She designs and makes the pieces herself and sells them online. After the Asian Games, she also said she wants to design a piece inspired by Japan to mark her medal.

Her sporting idol is the tennis player Rafael Nadal, because she admires his mental strength and his humility. Her own approach is just as simple: she takes life one day at a time.

Follow Harita Bhadra on Athletics India

Her full stats and results are on Harita Bhadra’s athlete profile. In addition, results from the National Open Athletics Championships in New Delhi are on our National Open 2026 page.

Asha Ilango won the women’s triple jump gold medal with a meet-record 13.89m, while India’s U20 long jump national record holder Shaili Singh claimed bronze on her debut in the event at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026. Railways’ Bhairabi Roy finished second with 13.36m, as the top three athletes delivered a closely contested competition.

The women’s triple jump was one of the standout events at the championships, with Asha matching her lifetime best to establish a new meet record and Shaili making an impressive transition from the long jump. Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Shampa Gain won the women’s 5000m title in a lifetime best of 16:54.56, holding off Sonam Parmar and Mori Vandan in a competitive distance race.

Asha Ilango Claims Triple Jump Gold with Meet Record

Asian Games fourth-place finisher Asha Ilango produced the leading performance in the women’s triple jump, recording 13.89m to win gold and set a new meet record.

Representing Tamil Nadu, Asha matched her personal best with the winning effort. Her performance highlighted her consistency in the event and placed her at the top of the standings at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Asha had previously finished fourth in the triple jump at the Asian Games. Her record-breaking performance at the National Open added another significant result to her career as she continued to compete among India’s leading triple jumpers.

The 13.89m effort also gave Asha a clear advantage over the rest of the field. Railways’ Bhairabi Roy finished second with 13.36m, while Shaili Singh secured third place with 13.31m.

Bhairabi Roy Takes Silver with 13.36m

Bhairabi Roy of Railways won the silver medal with a best jump of 13.36m. Her effort placed her between Asha and Shaili in the final standings.

Roy finished 53cm behind the winner but secured second place ahead of Shaili, whose 13.31m mark earned her bronze.

The result gave Railways a place on the podium in an event led by Asha’s meet-record performance.

Shaili Singh Wins Bronze on Triple Jump Debut

Shaili Singh made an impressive start to her triple jump career, winning bronze with 13.31m in her first-ever competition in the event.

The 21-year-old is better known for her long jump performances and holds India’s U20 long jump national record. Her appearance in the triple jump offered an opportunity to test herself in a different discipline, and she responded with a podium finish.

Shaili opened the competition with a 13.31m effort on her first attempt and remained second after three rounds at that stage. She ultimately finished third behind Asha and Bhairabi, securing bronze on debut.

Her performance was particularly notable given her limited experience in the event. She finished just 5cm behind Bhairabi and 58cm behind the winning mark, demonstrating that she could compete closely with established triple jumpers.

Shaili Enters India’s All-Time Top 20

Shaili’s 13.31m jump also moved her into India’s all-time top 20 in the women’s triple jump.

With the mark, she became India’s 19th-best triple jumper of all time and the fourth-best Indian triple jumper this season.

The result adds another dimension to the 21-year-old’s athletics profile. While the long jump remains her established event, her triple jump debut has given her an encouraging result to build on as she continues her career.

Shaili is also scheduled to compete in the women’s long jump final at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026, where she will look to carry the momentum from her triple jump bronze into her primary event.

Women’s Triple Jump Final Results

Shampa Gain Wins Women’s 5000m Gold with Personal Best

Shampa Gain of West Bengal won the women’s 5000m title in 16:54.56, setting a lifetime best at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

She delivered a strong performance to finish first in a competitive race, beating Madhya Pradesh’s Sonam Parmar and Gujarat’s Mori Vandan to secure the gold medal.

Her winning time marked a personal milestone and made her the leading performer in the women’s 5000m final. The contest for the remaining medals was particularly close, with only 0.10 seconds separating the silver and bronze medallists.

Sonam Parmar Takes Silver, Mori Vandan Wins Bronze

Sonam Parmar finished second in 16:56.52, securing silver for Madhya Pradesh. She crossed the line 1.96 seconds behind Shampa after a close contest for the top positions.

Gujarat’s Mori Vandan took bronze in 16:56.62, finishing just 0.10 seconds behind Parmar. The narrow margin highlighted the battle for the final podium places.

Ravina Gaikwad, the 2026 Federation Cup 10,000m champion, finished fourth and narrowly missed out on a medal.

Women’s 5000m Final Results

The top three athletes finished within 2.06 seconds of one another, with Shampa’s lifetime best proving decisive in the race for gold.

National Open Athletics Championships 2026: Two Standout Performances

The women’s triple jump and 5000m produced two notable results at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026.

Asha Ilango matched her personal best of 13.89m to establish a new triple jump meet record, while Shaili Singh marked her debut in the event with a bronze medal and a place among India’s top 20 performers all-time.

In the women’s 5000m, Shampa Gain secured gold with a lifetime best of 16:54.56, ahead of Sonam Parmar and Mori Vandan.

Together, the performances highlighted a championship featuring both record-breaking field-event results and closely contested distance races.

The East Zone athletics 2026 results are now official. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has published the result sheets of the 37th East Zone Junior Athletics Championships, which took place in Patna from 22 to 24 September.

This page therefore lists the gold, silver and bronze medallists in 84 finals, age group by age group. In addition, you will find the closest finishes, the athletes who won two golds and a medal count by state. Every result below comes from the official AFI result sheets.

East Zone athletics 2026 results: the highlights

Bihar, the hosts, and Odisha shared the spotlight in Patna. Both states won 59 medals in the 84 finals listed here. However, Bihar finished with 22 golds, while Odisha had 21.

Prince Kumar wins the 100m, Koushik Gogoi takes the 200m

Prince Kumar of Bihar won the Under 20 men’s 100m in 10.76 seconds. Behind him, Pratik Maharana of Odisha and Koushik Gogoi of Assam both clocked 10.84. Gogoi then returned to win the 200m in 22.51, while Maharana took silver again.

Five athletes with two individual golds

In addition, five athletes won two individual titles in the events listed here.

The closest finals in Patna

The Under 20 men’s 4x100m relay was the tightest race of the meet. Bihar won in 43.04, Odisha followed in 43.06 and Assam finished in 43.08. As a result, only four hundredths of a second separated the three medal teams.

Similarly, the photo-finish camera decided two individual medals. In the Under 20 men’s 800m, Rahul Oraon and Vikas Singh both clocked 1:57.86, but Oraon took silver by four thousandths of a second. In the Under 18 boys’ 100m, Ayushman Mahapatra won bronze in 11.17, because he was five thousandths ahead of Rishu Raj.

Prem Raj wins the long jump again

Prem Raj of Bihar won the Under 18 boys’ long jump with 7.33m. Earlier this season, he also broke the meet record at the Youth Nationals with 7.58m.

Big throws and golds for the smaller teams

The throws also produced strong marks. Subham Das of Odisha won the Under 20 men’s javelin with 68.44m, while Ayush Raj of Bihar threw 68.09m for the Under 18 title. In addition, Dev Raj of Bihar won the Under 18 discus with 52.17m.

The smaller teams also reached the top of the podium. For example, Phurba Hissey Sherpa and Sabina Rai won golds for Sikkim, in the Under 20 men’s 1500m and the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Meanwhile, Tusame Marak of Meghalaya won the Under 18 girls’ high jump, and Yanu Mane of Arunachal Pradesh took the Under 20 women’s 800m.

Under 20 men: East Zone athletics 2026 results

The table below has the medallists in 21 Under 20 men’s finals. Times are in minutes and seconds, while field marks are in metres.

Under 20 women: East Zone 2026 results and medal winners

Odisha and Jharkhand won most of the Under 20 women’s titles. Here are the medallists in 19 finals.

East Zone Under 18 results: boys and girls

Boys: Under 18 medal winners

Girls: Under 18 medal winners

Under 16 and Under 14 East Zone results

The Under 16 events are shorter. For example, the sprint is over 60m and the middle-distance race is over 600m.

Boys: Under 16 medal winners

Girls: Under 16 medal winners

Kids javelin: Under 14 medal winners

East Zone 2026 medal count by state

AFI’s result sheets do not include a team points table. So we counted the medals in the 84 finals listed above. Two events had a tie for bronze, which is why the bronze column adds up to 86.

However, this is our count and not the official standings. It also leaves out the events named in the note above, so the final order can still change. We will add the official team standings here as soon as AFI publishes them.

East Zone winners against the National Junior entry standards

The next stop for many of these athletes is the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 in Chennai. Therefore, we compared nine winning marks in Patna with the AFI entry standards for that meet.

Six of the nine winners were inside the standard. However, the other three winning marks were outside it. So an East Zone gold does not guarantee the entry mark on its own.

Last year: Jharkhand won the title in Ranchi

Ranchi hosted the 36th edition from 22 to 24 September 2025 at the Morabadi football stadium. Jharkhand won the overall title with 172 points, while Bihar finished second with 168, according to ETV Bharat. You can also compare this year’s marks with the East Zone 2025 results (PDF).

After the East Zone athletics 2026 meet: what comes next

The 41st National Junior Athletics Championships will take place at the JN Stadium in Chennai from 23 to 27 October. After that, the 20th NIDJAM follows in Hyderabad from 14 to 16 November for Under 14 and Under 16 athletes.

Meanwhile, results from the other zones are on our South Zone athletics 2026 results page and in the North Zone 2026 results (PDF). Results from every other meet this season are also on the Indian athletics results page.

The 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 will take place from 23 to 27 October at the JN Stadium in Chennai, and online entries close on Friday 9 October. The meet also covers four age groups, from Under 14 to Under 20.

This guide puts everything in one place for athletes, parents and coaches. You will find the entry standards for every age group, as well as the entry fee, the age rules and the documents you need for age verification. In addition, we explain how hard the standards really are, with results from this season.

National Junior Athletics Championships 2026: key dates

Four dates matter. Above all, do not miss the first one, because entries close that day.

Entries opened on 19 September, so only a few days remain. After that, the next step is age verification in Chennai.

Age groups: which category are you in?

Your date of birth decides your age group. For example, an athlete born on 15 March 2009 competes in the Under 18 group.

How to enter the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026

Athletes cannot enter on their own. Instead, the state or union territory association sends every entry online. So if you have the standard, contact your state association before 9 October.

National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 entry standards: Under 20

These are the marks from the AFI circular. Times are in minutes and seconds, while field marks are in metres.

The Under 20 programme also has 4x100m and 4x400m mixed relays. However, the circular does not list an entry standard for them.

Entry standards: Under 18

Entry standards: Under 16 and Under 14

The Under 16 events are shorter and simpler. For example, the high jump is scissor style only, and the long jump uses a five-metre runway.

Under 14: no entry standards

However, the circular lists no entry standards for the Under 14 group. Instead, each athlete picks one triathlon group, and every Under 14 athlete also takes part in the kids javelin throw.

How hard are the entry standards?

The standard is the minimum, not a medal mark. In order to show the gap, we compared the Under 20 standards with the winning marks at the North Zone Junior Championships in September.

Most zone winners were well inside the standard. However, the last row tells a different story. Harshil won the North Zone Under 20 women’s 400m in 1:00.90, which is outside the 58.50 standard. So a zone gold does not guarantee the mark.

At the top end, however, the level is far higher. For example, Neil Samraj ran 10.46 in September to break the Under 18 100m national record, while the Under 18 entry standard is 11.50.

Similarly, Prem Raj of Bihar jumped 7.58m to win long jump gold at the National Youth Championships in Ludhiana. In comparison, the Under 18 entry standard for Chennai is 6.50m, so he cleared it by more than a metre.

Age verification: documents you must carry

The Age Verification Committee checks every athlete from 21 October at the stadium. No athlete can compete without this check, so carry the original documents.

Other rules at the venue

The National Anti-Doping Agency will conduct dope tests during the championships. In addition, AFI issues participation certificates online, and only to athletes who perform to the entry standard at the meet. Merit certificates also come online, after the dope test reports arrive.

Last year: Tamil Nadu won by two points

Bhubaneswar hosted the 40th edition at the Kalinga Stadium from 10 to 14 October 2025. Tamil Nadu won the overall trophy with 289 points, while Haryana finished second with 287, according to AFI.

Tamil Nadu therefore host the meet as defending champions. In addition, they have just won the overall title at the South Zone Junior Championships 2026.

National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 schedule and results

AFI has not published the day-wise schedule yet. We will add it here as soon as it is out, and then the results after every session from 23 October. Until then, results from every other meet this season are on our Indian athletics results page.