Rajnath Singh hails India's silver in 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Indian 4x400m Mixed Relay team — MR Poovamma, Vithya Ramraj, Manu TS, and Vishal TK — on winning silver at the Asian Games 2026, praising their outstanding teamwork.
Key Takeaways
India won silver in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at the Asian Games 2026 .
The winning quartet comprised MR Poovamma , Vithya Ramraj , Manu TS , and Vishal TK .
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly congratulated the athletes on 24 September 2026 .
The mixed relay pairs two men and two women, rewarding nations with depth in both 400m programmes.
India maintains a consistent presence in Asian Games track and field across multiple editions.
India's mixed relay quartet delivered a silver-medal run at the Asian Games 2026, and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was among the first senior voices to mark the moment — congratulating the team on Thursday, 24 September 2026.
Posting on X, Singh praised MR Poovamma, Vithya Ramraj, Manu TS, and Vishal TK for what he called 'outstanding teamwork', adding, 'India is proud of their achievement.' The four athletes competed in the 4x400m Mixed Relay — a format that pairs two men and two women on the same baton circuit, a discipline designed to put tactical versatility and gender-balanced squad depth front and centre.
Four names, one baton, one podium finish
MR Poovamma is one of India's most experienced 400m runners, a veteran of multiple Asian Games campaigns. Vithya Ramraj has emerged as a prominent name in Indian women's sprinting, known for her strong relay legs. Manu TS and Vishal TK anchor the men's component of the team. Together, the quartet ran well enough to claim silver at Asia's premier multi-sport meet, organised quadrennially by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Mixed relay's growing weight in Asian athletics
The mixed relay format has steadily grown in prestige since its introduction to major Games programmes, rewarding nations that build both men's and women's 400m pipelines simultaneously. India's silver here signals continued competitive depth in a discipline that feeds directly into Olympic qualification logic. It is not an isolated result — it sits within a broader pattern of Indian track-and-field athletes asserting themselves on the continental stage across successive editions of the Asian Games.
Senior ministers routinely use moments like this to place sporting success within the larger national story, and Singh's post does exactly that — brief, warm, and pointed. 'Wishing them success in their future endeavours,' he wrote, a line that gestures as much toward upcoming global qualifiers as it does to today's podium.
Point of View
Rather than a generic 'Team India' shoutout, reflects a more personalised communication style that resonates with younger audiences. India's growing relay competitiveness in Asia also carries Olympic qualification implications, making silver at this level more than ceremonial. Rajnath Singh's post, though brief, plugs into a wider government effort to frame athletic achievement as a national project.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won silver in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at Asian Games 2026?
India won silver in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at the Asian Games 2026. The team consisted of MR Poovamma, Vithya Ramraj, Manu TS, and Vishal TK.
What is the 4x400m Mixed Relay event?
The 4x400m Mixed Relay is an athletics discipline in which two men and two women from the same country each run a 400m leg consecutively, passing a baton between them.
What did Rajnath Singh say about India's relay silver at Asian Games 2026?
Rajnath Singh called it a 'splendid silver' and praised the team's 'outstanding' teamwork, congratulating all four athletes by name and wishing them success in future endeavours.
When are the Asian Games held?
The Asian Games are held every four years under the Olympic Council of Asia and are the premier multi-sport competition for athletes across the Asian continent.
