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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