India’s 4×400m mixed relay team missed out on a place in the final at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026 after finishing fourth in its heat with a time of 3:22.85.

One pattern stood out during India’s race.
The quartet of Piyush Raj, Tahura Khatun, Syed Sabeer, and Thiya Arumugam appeared to go out very aggressively over the first half of their respective laps before fading significantly in the closing stages.

The World Athletics speed graphic highlighted this clearly. Around the 170–180m mark, Tahura’s speed peaked at approximately 7.9 m/s, while several athletes from other teams appeared to distribute their effort more evenly. In the closing metres, her speed dropped to around 6.6 m/s, one of the biggest declines in the field.

Managing pace over a one-lap relay is crucial, and a more controlled opening could help the Indian quartet finish stronger in future races.
With the men’s and women’s 4×400m relays still to come, India will hope to learn from this performance and deliver improved race execution.

India booked its place in the 4×400m mixed relay final at the Commonwealth Games 2026, advancing as one of the fastest losers after clocking 3:20.98 in the heats.

The Indian quartet finished fourth in their heat, but their time was good enough to secure qualification as the seventh-fastest team overall, keeping their medal hopes alive heading into the final.

Strong Start from Vishal TK

India got off to an encouraging start through Vishal TK, who delivered a composed opening leg.

The national record holder produced a 46.10-second split, handing India an early advantage and placing the team in a strong position after the first exchange.

Momentum Slips Away

The race began to unravel on the second leg as Ansa Babu went out aggressively over the opening 200 metres but struggled to maintain the pace over the final stretch.

She clocked a 53.90-second split, allowing rival teams to move ahead and costing India the advantage built by Vishal.

The final two legs, run by Rajesh Ramesh and Rashdeep Kaur, were unable to recover the lost ground.

Rajesh returned a 47.00-second split, while Rashdeep clocked 53.98 seconds, as India crossed the finish line in fourth place.

Through to the Final

Despite missing out on an automatic qualifying position, India’s 3:20.98 was sufficient to progress on time, earning the team the seventh-fastest qualifying spot for the final.

The performance, however, highlighted areas that will need improvement if India is to challenge the stronger relay nations for a podium finish. While the men’s legs were competitive, the team lost valuable ground during the middle stages of the race.

India also has Neeru Pathak available as the reserve athlete for the mixed relay squad, giving the team management an additional selection option ahead of the final.

With qualification secured, the focus now shifts to producing a cleaner, more balanced performance when the medals are decided.

India’s women’s 4x100m relay team has begun preparations at the renowned Olympic Preparation Centre in Spała, Poland, as part of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI)-organised and Sports Authority of India (SAI)-supported overseas training camp ahead of the Asian Games 2026.

The training camp is designed to provide India’s top relay athletes with world-class facilities and an ideal environment as they fine-tune their preparations for one of the biggest competitions of the year.

The squad training in Spała comprises Nithya Gandhe, S.S. Sneha, Srabani Nanda, Tamanna, Sudheshna, and Abinaya. The athletes are working under the guidance of Seenivasan, who serves as the Women’s Relay Coach, with a strong emphasis on baton exchanges, speed endurance, race execution, and overall relay coordination.

The Indian women’s sprint relay team heads into the camp after an outstanding season on the international circuit. Earlier this year, the quartet delivered a memorable performance to win the gold medal at the Asian Relay Championships, clocking an impressive 43.85s. The victory reaffirmed India’s growing strength in the sprint relay and established the team as one of the leading contenders in Asia.

The overseas training camp in Spała is expected to play a crucial role in helping the athletes build on that success. The facility has long been a preferred destination for elite athletes from around the world, offering high-quality infrastructure and a focused training environment ahead of major championships.

With the Asian Games 2026 approaching, the Indian women’s relay squad will be aiming to carry its excellent form into the continental competition. Backed by a successful season and comprehensive preparations in Poland, the team will look to further improve its performances and strengthen its position among Asia’s leading sprint relay nations.

India’s women’s 4x100m relay team enters the final phase of preparation with confidence, momentum, and the ambition to build on its Asian Relay Championships triumph when it takes to the track at the Asian Games.

India’s women’s 4x400m relay team produced a commanding performance to win the gold medal at the 2026 Asian U23 Athletics Championships, clocking an impressive 3:33.62.

The Indian quartet of Shravani Sangle, Sandra Mol Sabu, Pravallika, and Nofisa combined brilliantly to finish ahead of China (3:35.14) and Kazakhstan (3:37.65), securing the continental U23 title.

Shravani Sangle provided India with a solid start before Sandra Mol Sabu delivered a decisive second leg, pulling clear of the Chinese runner over the final 100 metres to hand India a comfortable lead. Pravallika and Nofisa then ran composed final two legs, maintaining the advantage and ensuring India crossed the finish line first.

The winning time of 3:33.62 also underlined the team’s quality, finishing just 0.81 seconds behind the Indian senior team’s season-best mark of 3:32.81, highlighting the immense potential of the country’s next generation of quarter-milers.

India’s men’s 4x400m relay team delivered a strong performance to secure the silver medal at the 2026 Asian U23 Athletics Championships, finishing in 3:04.24.

The Indian quartet of Astik Pradhan, Megavarnam Sharan, Setu Mishra, and Aman Choudhary fought hard throughout the race but finished behind China, which claimed the gold medal in 3:03.46. Qatar took the bronze medal with a time of 3:06.19.

Astik Pradhan provided India with an excellent start, handing over in the lead after a brilliant opening leg. Megavarnam Sharan maintained the advantage with another composed run before China moved ahead during Setu Mishra’s third leg. On the anchor leg, Aman Choudhary mounted a determined chase but was unable to bridge the gap, ensuring India finished with a well-earned silver medal.

The podium finish adds another medal to India’s impressive campaign at the Asian U23 Athletics Championships, reflecting the country’s growing depth in the 4x400m relay.

India celebrated a landmark moment at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, as the Mixed 4x400m Relay team won the country’s first-ever gold medal at the competition with a thrilling victory over hosts China.

The Indian quartet of Astik Pradhan, Sandramol Sabu, Setu Mishra, and Shravani Sachin Sangle clocked 3:18.64 to finish atop the podium. China settled for silver in 3:18.74, while the Philippines claimed the bronze medal with 3:25.28.

Each member of the Indian team played a crucial role in the historic triumph, but it was anchor Shravani Sachin Sangle who produced the defining moment of the race. Displaying remarkable speed and composure, she overtook China’s Yingying Huang in the closing stages to secure a dramatic victory for India.

The gold medal marks India’s first title at the debut edition of the Asian U23 Athletics Championships and highlights the country’s growing strength in relay events. The memorable win adds another chapter to an impressive campaign for the young Indian contingent in Ordos.

India’s women’s 4x100m relay team produced a superb performance to clinch the gold medal at the Asian Relays 2026, continuing the country’s strong tradition in sprint relays on the continental stage.

The quartet of Srabani Nanda, Sneha S S, Sudheshna Shivankar and Tamanna combined brilliantly to clock a season-best 43.85 seconds, finishing ahead of a strong field to secure the top spot on the podium.

The victory was made even more impressive by the fact that the Indian team ran faster than it did while winning silver at the previous edition of the Asian Relays. Last year, the Indian quartet had finished second with a time of 43.86 seconds, making this year’s gold-medal-winning performance marginally quicker.

China finished second to claim the silver medal in 44.09 seconds, while Thailand took bronze after clocking 44.11 seconds in a closely contested race.

The result is a significant boost for Indian women’s sprinting and highlights the growing depth in the country’s relay programme. The team’s ability to deliver a season-best performance on a major international stage reflects both strong individual form and effective baton exchanges, often the decisive factor in relay racing.

For Srabani Nanda, Sneha S S, Sudheshna Shivankar and Tamanna, the gold medal represents a major achievement and provides valuable momentum ahead of the busy international season, which includes key qualification events and major championships.

By finishing ahead of both China and Thailand, India not only secured the gold medal but also sent out a strong statement about its ambitions in women’s sprint relays on the continental stage.

Bureau Report

India endured a disappointing campaign at the Asian Relays 2026, with both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams failing to finish on the podium despite entering the competition with high expectations.

The women’s team finished fourth, missing out on a medal as Vietnam clinched gold in 3:31.16. China secured silver with 3:32.68, while Kazakhstan claimed bronze after clocking a personal best of 3:33.87.

The men’s team fared even worse, finishing fifth in a race won by Vietnam, whose quartet produced a personal best of 3:02.60. China took silver in 3:03.23, while Sri Lanka completed the podium with 3:03.33.

The results raise uncomfortable questions for Indian athletics, particularly given the level of support available to the country’s relay programmes.

India’s relay athletes benefit from year-round training at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Trivandrum, work under foreign coaches and receive extensive support through the Sports Authority of India’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Yet despite access to infrastructure, coaching and funding that many Asian nations can only aspire to, India failed to secure a medal in either relay event.

Some observers may point out that the men’s team was not India’s strongest possible combination and could be viewed as a second-string squad.

That argument, however, becomes harder to make in the women’s event.

Under the Athletics Federation of India’s current campers-only selection policy, the relay squad was effectively the best available combination from the national camp system. If the athletes selected from the country’s premier training setup were unable to reach the podium at the continental level, it raises larger questions about the effectiveness of the current high-performance structure.

The performances also come at a time when several Asian nations are making significant strides in relay running. Vietnam’s gold medals in both men’s and women’s events underline the rapid progress being made by countries that have traditionally not been considered relay powerhouses.

For India, the Asian Relays were expected to be a stepping stone towards bigger targets such as the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Instead, the competition has highlighted the gap that still exists between investment and results.