CM Nayab Saini Hails India's 4x400m Relay Bronze at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Dharmaveer Chaudhary, Manu T.S., Jay Kumar and Vishal T.K. after the quartet won bronze in the men's 4×400m relay at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, calling it a proud moment for Indian athletics.
Key Takeaways
India's men's 4×400 metre relay team won a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games hosted by Japan.
The four athletes are Dharmaveer Chaudhary , Manu T.S. , Jay Kumar , and Vishal T.K.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini posted congratulations on X on 29 September 2026 .
Saini credited the team's 'spectacular coordination and powerful performance' for the podium finish.
India has competed in relay events at the Asian Games since 1951 , making this result part of a long continental track history.
Four Indian sprinters lit up the track at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday, 29 September, claiming a bronze medal in the men's 4×400 metre relay — and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was among the first to salute the feat.
Saini took to X to congratulate the quartet — Dharmaveer Chaudhary, Manu T.S., Jay Kumar, and Vishal T.K. — calling their achievement 'a moment of pride for Indian athletics.' Writing in Hindi, he praised their 'spectacular coordination and powerful performance' (शानदार तालमेल और दमदार प्रदर्शन) and urged them to keep scaling new heights on the field.
A relay baton passed with national pride
The 4×400 metre relay is one of athletics' most demanding team events — four runners, one baton, each leg demanding both individual pace and split-second handover precision. India has carried that baton at every Asian Games since 1951, making the relay a long thread in the country's continental track-and-field story. A bronze here adds another colour to that history.
Dharmaveer, Manu, Jay Kumar, Vishal — the names behind the medal
The four athletes who made the podium — Dharmaveer Chaudhary, Manu T.S., Jay Kumar, and Vishal T.K. — together ran India into a continental medal at a Games hosted by Japan. Saini singled out their teamwork as the defining quality, a reminder that relay success is never the story of one sprinter but of four runners trusting each other completely.
Indian political leaders have long used international sporting milestones as a platform to amplify national pride and spotlight athletes who might otherwise remain below the public radar. For a sitting chief minister of Haryana — a state that punches well above its weight in Indian athletics and combat sports — the gesture carries particular resonance. Many of the country's top track athletes have roots in Haryana's training ecosystem.
With India's campaign at the 2026 Asian Games still unfolding, every relay bronze is both a result and a signal — that the relay pipeline is producing athletes capable of standing on an Asian podium. The next question is whether this quartet, and the wider Indian sprint group, can push that bronze closer to silver or gold in the cycles ahead.
Point of View
Whose athletes disproportionately populate India's track-and-field squads. The relay bronze at a Games hosted by Japan signals continued growth in Indian sprint depth, even if a gold still eludes the men's 4×400 programme. For the BJP government in Haryana, spotlighting individual athlete names also serves a subtle policy signal: that grassroots sports infrastructure in the state is producing continental-level talent. The real test will come in whether formal athlete-support announcements follow the social-media applause.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the bronze medal in the men's 4x400m relay at Asian Games 2026?
India's quartet of Dharmaveer Chaudhary, Manu T.S., Jay Kumar and Vishal T.K. won the bronze medal in the men's 4×400 metre relay at the 2026 Asian Games.
Where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games are hosted by Japan.
What did CM Nayab Singh Saini say about the relay bronze medal?
Saini called it 'a moment of pride for Indian athletics,' praising the four athletes' spectacular coordination and urging them to keep achieving new heights.
Which state is Nayab Singh Saini the Chief Minister of?
Nayab Singh Saini is the Chief Minister of Haryana and a BJP leader who took office in 2024.
How long has India been competing in relay events at the Asian Games?
India has fielded athletics relay teams at the Asian Games since the inaugural edition in 1951.
