India opened its gold medal account at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026 in Hong Kong through a commanding performance from race walker Nitin Gupta, who clinched the top spot in the men’s 5000m race walk.
The young Indian athlete clocked 19:47.49s to secure gold and give India its first title of the championships. Sheng-Qin Lo of Chinese Taipei finished second with a time of 19:56.17s, while Japan’s Chihiro Obata took bronze in 20:06.73s.
Nitin entered the competition as one of the favourites and lived up to expectations with a composed and technically strong race. He has already established himself as one of the brightest young race walkers in the world and currently owns the U20 world all-time No. 2 performance thanks to his personal best of 18:54.37s.
That timing placed Nitin firmly among the most exciting junior race walking prospects globally and highlighted India’s growing strength in the discipline. Over the last decade, India has steadily emerged as a force in race walking, producing international medal contenders across junior and senior competitions.
The men’s 5000m race walk demands endurance, rhythm and strict technical discipline, with athletes penalised for loss of contact or bent-knee violations. Nitin managed the race confidently from the front group and maintained his pace under pressure to secure a memorable victory.
His gold medal is another sign of India’s strong performances at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026, where several young athletes have stepped onto the podium across track and field events.