The 65th National Open Athletics Championships 2026 continued at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, with 21 finals completed across the first two days of the four-day competition. While several established athletes faced challenges after competing at the Asian Games, emerging talents seized the opportunity to claim national titles and record personal bests.
The championships have also highlighted the demanding competition schedule, with several athletes returning from the Asian Games either skipping events or failing to finish them. At the same time, Railway Sports continued to dominate the medal tally, completing podium clean sweeps in two women’s events by the end of Day 2.
Asian Games Athletes Face Challenges at the Open Nationals
Kiran Pahal, who competed in the individual 400m and the 4x400m relay at the Asian Games 2026, participated in the 400m heats at the Open Nationals but skipped the semifinals. She was also part of the Indian women’s 4x400m relay team that won gold at the continental event.
Jay Kumar, who represented India in the men’s relay squad at the Asian Games, recorded a DNF in the men’s 400m at the National Open Championships.
The schedule drew concerns from athletes and coaches who felt the championships were held too close to the Asian Games. Nevertheless, the competition offered opportunities for emerging athletes to make their mark in events including the 400m, triple jump and racewalks.
Anjli Breaks the 54-Second Barrier in Women’s 400m
Haryana’s Anjli produced one of the biggest surprises of the championships by winning the women’s 400m final in a lifetime best of 53.37 seconds.
The 21-year-old defeated a competitive field that included Priya Mohan, the fastest athlete in the heats, and Nitisha, who recorded the fastest time in the semifinals.
Anjli broke the 54-second barrier for the first time in a registered performance, improving on her previous best of 54.05 seconds. She had recorded that mark at the 2025 All India University Championships, but the performance was unregistered.
Akash Raj Stuns Vikrant Panchal in Men’s 400m
Tamil Nadu’s Akash Raj claimed the men’s 400m title in a lifetime best of 46.24 seconds, edging out Vikrant Panchal in a closely contested final.
Vikrant had been the fastest athlete in both the heats and semifinals, becoming the only competitor to run under 46 seconds in both rounds. However, he narrowly missed the title, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind Akash Raj.
Suraj Panwar Wins Men’s Half Marathon Racewalk
Suraj Panwar clinched the men’s half marathon racewalk title with a winning time of 1:30:48.00, finishing ahead of a field that included Asian Athletics Championships bronze medallist Servin Sebastian.
Servin missed out on the podium, finishing fourth in 1:32:46.00.
Shampa Gain Sets Lifetime Best in Women’s 5,000m
Shampa Gain won the women’s 5,000m gold medal in a substantial lifetime best of 16:54.56.
Ravina Gaikwad, the 2026 Federation Cup 10,000m champion, could not secure another podium finish and ended the race in fourth place.
Shivaji Madappa Wins Tactical Men’s 10,000m
Twenty-two-year-old Shivaji Madappa claimed the men’s 10,000m title in 30:30.54, overcoming several experienced competitors in a tactical, slow-paced race.
His victory came ahead of established distance runners, including Abhishek Pal and Vinod Singh, as the younger athlete secured the national title.
Sebastian V S Becomes National Triple Jump Champion
Sebastian V S won his first national championship title in the triple jump, recording a lifetime best of 16.54m.
The 23-year-old’s performance marked a significant milestone in his career as he emerged as the champion in one of the field events.
Railway Sports Complete Two Women’s Podium Sweeps
Railway Sports continued its strong showing across the championships, completing clean sweeps of the podium in the women’s half marathon racewalk and women’s 1500m.
Women’s Half Marathon Racewalk
Mokavi led the Railway Sports sweep, winning gold in 1:45:39. Munita Prajapati secured silver in 1:45:43, while Bhawana Jat finished third in 1:46:47 to complete the podium.
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Mokavi (Railways) | 1:45:39 |
| Silver | Munita Prajapati (Railways) | 1:45:43 |
| Bronze | Bhawana Jat (Railways) | 1:46:47 |
Women’s 1500m
Railways also swept all three medals in the women’s 1500m. Ankita Dhyani won gold in 4:13.18, followed by Lili Das in 4:19.05 and Komal Jagdale in 4:22.67.
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Ankita Dhyani (Railways) | 4:13.18 |
| Silver | Lili Das (Railways) | 4:19.05 |
| Bronze | Komal Jagdale (Railways) | 4:22.67 |
National Open Athletics Championships 2026 Medal Tally After Day 2
With 21 finals completed, a total of 63 medals have been awarded across gold, silver and bronze. Railway Sports leads the medal tally with 21 medals, including nine gold, seven silver and five bronze.
Services sits second with 12 medals. Despite not winning a gold medal on the opening day, Services has collected three gold, four silver and five bronze medals by the end of Day 2.
| Rank | Team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Railway Sports | 9 | 7 | 5 | 21 |
| 2 | Services | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
Emerging Athletes Make Their Mark
The first two days of the National Open Athletics Championships 2026 have delivered a mix of established athletes navigating a demanding schedule and emerging competitors making the most of their opportunities.
Anjli’s breakthrough in the women’s 400m, Akash Raj’s narrow victory over Vikrant Panchal, Shivaji Madappa’s 10,000m triumph and Sebastian V S’s triple jump title have been among the notable performances.
With Railway Sports leading the medal standings and the remaining finals still to come, the final two days will offer further opportunities for athletes to secure national titles and personal bests at JLN Stadium.