Anurag Thakur hails India's 4x400m Mixed Relay Silver at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
BJP MP and former sports minister Anurag Thakur congratulated Manu TS, Poovama Raju, Vishal TK and Vithya Ramraj on winning silver in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, hailing their 'dedication and undeterred spirit'.
Key Takeaways
Silver medal for India in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026 , held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
The winning quartet comprised Manu TS , Poovama Raju , Vishal TK , and Vithya Ramraj .
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly congratulated the team on September 24, 2026 .
The mixed relay format alternates male and female legs, requiring both speed and precise baton exchanges.
India's relay medal adds to growing momentum in continental track and field ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics .
Four runners, one baton, and a silver medal that the entire nation is celebrating. BJP MP Anurag Thakur took to X on Thursday, September 24, 2026 to congratulate the Indian Mixed Relay team of Manu TS, Poovama Raju, Vishal TK, and Vithya Ramraj on clinching the silver medal in the 4x400m Mixed Relay event at the Asian Games 2026.
Thakur's post, carrying the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat, read: 'Silver it is! Congratulations to the Indian Mixed Relay team on winning the Silver medal in 4X400m Relay event at the Asian Games 2026. The entire nation salutes your dedication and undeterred spirit. Jai Hind.'
Four athletes, one silver-standard performance
The quartet of Manu TS, Poovama Raju, Vishal TK, and Vithya Ramraj executed a combined relay that carried India onto the podium at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the host city for Asian Games 2026. The mixed relay format — alternating male and female legs — demands both raw speed and precise baton exchanges, making a silver-medal finish a statement of all-round depth in India's athletics pipeline.Thakur's voice on Indian sport
As a former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Thakur has long been a prominent political voice on India's athletic ambitions. His tenure at the ministry coincided with several high-profile international competitions, and his continued engagement with Indian sport on social media reflects the ruling party's consistent practice of amplifying national podium moments. The congratulation arrives as India's athletics community keeps one eye firmly on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where relay events will carry significant medal expectations.A relay medal and the bigger track ahead
India's growing presence in track and field at Asian multi-sport events has been one of the more compelling storylines in continental athletics. A silver in the mixed relay adds another data point to that trend, and the performance of a four-member squad — two men, two women running in tandem — signals a broadening of the talent base beyond individual star athletes. Every second shaved off a relay baton exchange, every stride in a final straight, becomes currency for the Olympic cycle that now looms large. For Manu, Poovama, Vishal, and Vithya, silver at Aichi-Nagoya is not a ceiling — it is a launchpad.Point of View
The mixed relay silver underscores India's expanding depth in track and field, moving beyond individual medal hopes toward genuine team relay capacity. That shift matters enormously for Olympic planning, where relay finals require four athletes firing at peak form simultaneously. The 2028 Los Angeles cycle will test whether this Asian Games podium finish translates into global competitiveness.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the silver medal in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026?
India's team of Manu TS, Poovama Raju, Vishal TK and Vithya Ramraj won the silver medal in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Where are the Asian Games 2026 being held?
The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
What did Anurag Thakur say about the Indian relay team?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur said the 'entire nation salutes your dedication and undeterred spirit' and congratulated the four athletes on their silver medal performance.
Who is Anurag Thakur?
Anurag Thakur is a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, and a former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as Information and Broadcasting.
What is the 4x400m Mixed Relay format?
The 4x400m Mixed Relay involves four runners — two male and two female — alternating legs around the track, with the baton passed between them, combining speed and teamwork across the quartet.
