Two Indian women athletes etched their names into the Asian Games 2026 record books on Sunday, September 27 — and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was among the first to salute their grit. Long jumper Ancy Sojan claimed silver and sprinter Harita Bhadra took bronze in the women's 200 metres, adding fresh lustre to India's growing multi-sport footprint at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Posting in Hindi on X, CM Dhami offered his 'heartfelt congratulations and best wishes' (hardik badhai evam shubhkamnayen) to both athletes. He wrote that their 'outstanding achievement is the result of hard work, dedication, and passion', and that their performances 'have enhanced the nation's pride and given new inspiration to young players.' The message carried the hashtags #AsianGames2026 and #Cheer4Bharat.

Ancy Sojan's silver in the long jump pit

Ancy Sojan is among Indian athletics' most recognised long-jump talents, having represented the country at multiple international meets. A silver at the Asian Games is a significant step up in her career arc — the kind of performance that keeps a name in selection conversations all the way through to the next Olympic cycle. Every centimetre she gained in that jump pit at Aichi-Nagoya carries weight far beyond the podium.

Harita Bhadra and the 200m bronze

Harita Bhadra's bronze in the women's 200 metres adds a sprint medal to an Indian haul that has been building steadily across the Games. Indian sprinting has historically punched below its weight on the Asian stage, making any podium finish in the flat races a genuine marker of progress. Bhadra's effort signals that the country's sprinting pipeline may finally be delivering at the highest continental level.

India's Asian Games medal momentum

The backdrop to both medals is significant. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India registered its best-ever performance, finishing with 107 medals in total. That record haul set expectations high heading into Aichi-Nagoya 2026, and contributions from athletics — long a weaker link in the medal chain — are exactly what the team needs to sustain or surpass that benchmark. State leaders amplifying individual athletic wins on social media is now a familiar, deliberate part of India's sports-promotion ecosystem, connecting grassroots ambition to international achievement.

For young athletes watching from Uttarakhand and beyond, the message from Dhami lands with a simple clarity: the country is watching, and it is proud. The next milestone is already in sight — Los Angeles 2028.