India’s rising quarter-miler Neeru Pathak added another medal to the country’s growing tally at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026, clinching bronze in the women’s 400m final with a time of 53.23 seconds.
Competing against some of Asia’s best junior athletes, Neeru produced a composed run in the final to secure a podium finish in a tightly contested race. The gold medal went to UAE’s Kamarudeen Amin, while Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yi-cen claimed silver after edging ahead in the closing stages.
The medal continues a strong run for India at the continental championships, where several young athletes have delivered personal bests and podium performances across track and field events.
Neeru Pathak has emerged as one of India’s promising young sprinters over the last couple of seasons, steadily improving her timings in the 400m. Her performance at the U20 Asian Championships underlines India’s growing depth in women’s sprinting and relay events, especially after the country’s recent success in the 4x400m relays at international competitions.
Another Indian athlete in the final, Tahura Khatun, narrowly missed out on a medal after finishing fourth. Having two Indians in the final highlighted the strength of the country’s junior athletics programme in the one-lap event.
With the World U20 Athletics Championships on the horizon, performances like these will boost confidence for India’s next generation of track athletes. Neeru’s bronze may not have been gold, but it once again showed that India’s young runners are increasingly capable of competing with Asia’s best on the big stage.
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India’s leading quarter-miler Vithya Ramraj delivered one of the standout performances of the Federation Cup 2026, storming to the women’s 400m title in 52.22 seconds on Day 2 of the competition.
While the meet witnessed multiple national records across events, Vithya’s performance quietly established her as the fastest Indian woman this season over 400m and currently the third-fastest athlete in Asia in 2026.
What makes the run even more remarkable is that the 400m flat is not her primary event.
The Tamil Nadu athlete is primarily known as a 400m hurdler and jointly holds the Indian national record in the women’s 400m hurdles alongside legendary P. T. Usha after clocking 55.42s at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.
Born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Vithya has steadily emerged as one of India’s most versatile quarter-milers. The 27-year-old represented India at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the women’s 4x400m relay and has consistently impressed across the 400m, 400m hurdles and relay events.
Vithya’s journey has also become one of the inspiring stories in Indian athletics. The daughter of a truck driver, she rose through the grassroots system in Tamil Nadu alongside her twin sister Nithya Ramraj, who is also an athlete.
Earlier this season, Vithya had already underlined her form by winning the Federation Cup 400m hurdles title in 56.04s, one of the fastest timings in Asia this year.
With momentum building ahead of the international season, all eyes will now be on her signature event — the women’s 400m hurdles — where she will once again chase history and potentially move clear of P.T. Usha’s iconic national mark.
Maharashtra’s Sudeshna Hanma clinched gold in the women’s 100m final at the Federation Cup 2026, clocking 11.56s in Ranchi on a night where the race perhaps promised more than it ultimately delivered.
Tamil Nadu’s Giridharani Ravi finished close behind in second place with 11.58s, while Haryana’s Tamanna secured bronze in 11.62s in a tightly packed final.
The rest of the field saw Odisha’s experienced sprinter Srabani Nanda finish fourth in 11.67s, Karnataka’s Sneha S.S place fifth in 11.71s, and another Karnataka athlete, Daneshwari A.T, take sixth in 11.76s.
NCOE Trivandrum camper Nithya Gandhe finished seventh in 11.86s, while Himachal Pradesh’s Kusum Thakur ended eighth in 11.96s.
Despite the close finish, the race felt slightly underwhelming given the expectations surrounding some of India’s established sprint names. Both Srabani Nanda and Nithya Gandhe, in particular, were below their best on the evening and never quite looked capable of challenging for the title.
The winning timing of 11.56s was solid without being exceptional, especially on a Federation Cup that has already witnessed national records and landmark performances in the men’s sprint events.
With Indian athletics currently experiencing a surge in sprinting standards on the men’s side, the women’s 100m final lacked the same explosive quality and depth many would have hoped for at the country’s premier domestic meet.
Still, for Sudeshna Hanma, the night belonged entirely to her. In a competitive field where margins were razor-thin, the Maharashtra sprinter held her composure best to emerge national champion.
Giridharani Ravikumar clocked the fastest time across both the heats and semifinals with 11.45s and 11.52s respectively.
Lane-wise lineup for the final (fastest timing across heats & semis):
1 – Daneshwari A T — 11.72s
2 – Tamanna — 11.70s
3 – Giridharani Ravikumar — 11.45s
4 – Sudeshna Hanmant — 11.63s
5 – Sneha S.S — 11.57s
6 – Srabani Nanda — 11.68s
7 – Nithya Gandhe — 11.71s
8 – Kusum Thakur — 11.71s
The Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard stands at a massive 11.17s, equal to India’s national record.
Giridharani Ravikumar Blazes to Season-Best 11.51s
Chennai, TN – The women’s 100m sprint reached fever pitch at the Indian Athletics Series-6, as Tamil Nadu’s Giridharani Ravikumar delivered a masterclass in acceleration to clinch the title in 11.51s. The performance isn’t just a gold-medal run; it officially stands as India’s fastest time in the women’s 100m this season, reaffirming Ravikumar’s status as a top-tier contender on the road to the 2026 Asian Games.
Ravikumar, a 24-year-old national champion with a personal best of 11.36s (set in 2023), showed that her early-season form is peaking at exactly the right time. Having already won the opening leg of the series in Bengaluru with an 11.53s, she found another gear in the Chennai heat to shave off two-hundredths of a second and cement her position at the top of the national leaderboard.
While Ravikumar took the gold, the race was a tactical dogfight until the very end. Harita Bhadra, the reigning National Indoor Champion, opened her outdoor individual season with an explosive 11.55s. This mark is a massive lifetime best for Bhadra and currently ranks as the third-fastest time by an Indian woman this season. Bhadra’s transition from the indoor circuit to the 100m straight has been seamless, proving she has the top-end speed to challenge the traditional favorites.
The depth of the field was further showcased by Tamanna, who claimed the bronze medal with a lifetime best of 11.59s. A former Asian U20 Championships bronze medalist and a dominant force at the Khelo India Youth Games, Tamanna’s sub-11.60s performance marks her entry into the elite bracket of senior Indian sprinters. At just 21 years old, her progression suggests that the 4x100m relay pool is becoming deeper and more competitive than ever.
Veteran M.R. Poovamma Commands Chennai Track
The quarter-mile remains the territory of the experienced. At the Indian Athletics Series-6 held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, veteran Olympian M.R. Poovamma Raju rolled back the years to clinch the women’s 400m title, clocking a commanding season-best of 53.38s.
Poovamma, a two-time Asian Games gold medalist in the relay, has shown remarkable resilience this season. After a bronze-medal finish at the Indian Open 400m in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year (53.61s), she found an extra gear in the humid Chennai heat. Her performance is a significant indicator for India’s relay prospects, proving that the 33-year-old remains a cornerstone of the national 4x400m pool.
While the veteran took the gold, the story of the race was Ansa Babu. Finishing a close second, Babu registered a lifetime best of 53.50s, marking the first time in her career she has dipped under the 54-second barrier. Representing the Police Sports Control Board, Babu’s rapid progression—improving on her 54.01s from March—puts her firmly in the conversation for a spot in the primary national relay squad.
Rounding out the podium was Vijayakumari G.K., who clocked 53.58s. A consistent performer who also stood on the podium in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayakumari continues to provide the depth that makes the Indian women’s 400m field one of the most competitive in Asia.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the AFI and the relay coaches was the return of Subha Venkatesan. The Tokyo Olympian and Asian Games medalist, who hails from Tiruchirappalli, finally opened her 2026 season on home soil. Winning her heat with a time of 54.80s, Venkatesan looked smooth and controlled. For an athlete who has battled through injuries and intense competition, this season opener is a vital first step toward regaining the sub-52s form that once made her an indispensable part of India’s mixed and women’s relay teams.
India’s all-time second-fastest women’s 400m runner, Kiran Pahal, made a winning start to her season by clinching gold in the women’s 400m at the Indian Series-5 in Sangrur.
Kiran clocked 54.07 seconds to register the fastest time across all three finals at the meet, underlining her dominance in the event. The performance marks a solid opening to her campaign as she looks to build momentum for the remainder of the season.
Known for her consistency in Indian quarter-mile running, Kiran has established herself among the country’s top 400m athletes in recent years and continues to remain a strong contender on the national circuit.
The meet also witnessed the return of Himanshi Malik, the 2023 Interstate champion, who competed after nearly one and a half years away from action. Himanshi finished third in Final C with a time of 56.58s, marking an encouraging comeback performance after a lengthy absence from competition.
With both Kiran returning strongly and Himanshi back on track, the women’s 400m event promises to be an exciting battle in the domestic athletics season ahead.
Neeru Pathak delivered a commanding performance at the U-20 Federation Cup, winning gold in the women’s 400m with a time of 54.31 seconds and comfortably breaching the Asian U-20 qualification standard.
Representing NCOE Trivandrum, Neeru led what turned out to be one of the most competitive races of the meet. Close behind her, Tahura Khatun secured silver with a remarkable lifetime best of 54.39 seconds, a massive improvement from her previous best of 56.01.
Bhoomika Nehate completed the podium, clocking a personal best of 54.68 seconds to take bronze.
The depth of the field was particularly striking, with seven out of eight finalists running faster than the Asian U-20 qualification standard.
Anusha Biswas, the 2024 Junior Nationals 100m bronze medallist, has been banned for four years by NADA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP).
The 19-year-old sprinter was initially suspended in January 2025 after testing positive for Metandienone. She appealed the suspension, and her case was subsequently reviewed and adjudicated by the ADDP.
Biswas had recently broken the 12-second barrier at the Junior Nationals 2024, marking her as a rising sprint talent. Her four-year ineligibility period will be counted from January 8, 2025, sidelining her from all competitions until 2029.
The decision serves as a strict reminder of NADA’s zero-tolerance policy on doping, even among young and emerging athletes.
