India wins women's 4x400m relay gold at Asian Games 2026 with 3:29.69
Synopsis
India's women's 4x400m relay quartet — Kiran Pahal, Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj — stormed to Asian Games gold in 3:29.69, holding off Bahrain's Salwa Eid Nasr in the anchor leg. It is India's first gold in this event at the Asian Games, capping a landmark Games for Vithya who walked away with three medals.
Key Takeaways
India won gold in the women's 4x400m relay at the Asian Games with a time of 3:29.69 on 29 September .
The winning quartet: Kiran Pahal , M.R.
Poovamma , Prachi Choudhary , and Vithya Ramraj .
Bahrain (3:30.21) and China (3:31.02) took silver and bronze respectively.
Vithya Ramraj claimed her third medal of the Games and had rewritten the national record in the 400m hurdles the previous day.
Prachi Choudhary also won an individual 400m bronze at the same Games.
PM Modi congratulated the team via the PMO's X account , calling it 'a proud moment for Indian athletics.'
India's women's 4x400m relay team — Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary, and Vithya Ramraj — clinched a historic gold medal at the Asian Games on Tuesday, clocking 3:29.69 to finish ahead of Bahrain (3:30.21) and China (3:31.02) in a tightly contested final. The victory ends India's wait for the top honour in this event at the continental Games and marks an improvement on the silver medal the team secured at the previous edition.
A Leg-by-Leg Breakdown
India entered the final from lane six, with Kiran Pahal setting the pace on the opening leg before handing the baton to Poovamma in third place. The experienced campaigner delivered a powerful second leg, hauling India into podium contention. Prachi Choudhary — who had already earned an individual bronze in the 400m — kept India in the fight before passing the baton to anchor Vithya Ramraj.
Vithya's anchor leg was the decisive moment of the race. She made her move around the 200m mark and held off Bahrain's Salwa Eid Nasr in a nerve-shredding finish to seal gold. Japan finished fourth in 3:31.44, followed by Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Chinese Taipei.
Vithya Ramraj's Standout Games
The relay triumph capped an extraordinary Asian Games campaign for Vithya Ramraj, who claimed her third medal of the competition. She had previously secured a silver and a bronze at the Games, and had also rewritten the national record in the women's 400m hurdles just a day before the relay final — underlining her status as one of India's most versatile track athletes.
PM Modi Congratulates the Team
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to acknowledge the achievement. The PMO's official X account posted: 'Congratulations to Kiran Pahal, Poovamma MR, Prachi and Vithya Ramraj on a magnificent performance in the Women's 4×400m Relay at the Asian Games. Their speed and determination powered India to the top of the podium. This is a proud moment for Indian athletics and a wonderful example of what teamwork can achieve! Best wishes to the athletes for the endeavours ahead.'
India's Growing Athletics Footprint
The gold reinforces a broader upward arc for Indian track and field at the Asian Games. This is the first time India has topped the podium in the women's 4x400m relay at the continental showpiece, building on years of relay-squad investment and individual athlete development. Notably, two of the four runners — Prachi and Vithya — also collected individual medals at these Games, reflecting depth rather than dependence on a single standout performer.
With the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle already underway for the squad, the performance is expected to lift India's relay teams into higher global qualification consideration as preparation for the next Olympic Games intensifies.
Point of View
Which means this was not a relay-specialist squad stitched together for one race but a group of genuinely elite 400m runners operating collectively. The bigger question is whether the Athletics Federation of India can sustain this pipeline: India's relay teams have historically peaked at Asian Games level but fallen short at World Athletics Championships. With the Olympic cycle sharpening, the federation will need to replicate this depth under the qualifying pressures of Rome 2027.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Did India win gold in the women's 4x400m relay at the Asian Games?
Yes. India's women's relay team — Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary, and Vithya Ramraj — won gold at the Asian Games on 29 September, clocking 3:29.69. It is India's first gold in this event at the Asian Games.
Who ran in India's gold-winning women's 4x400m relay team?
The four runners were Kiran Pahal (first leg), M.R. Poovamma (second leg), Prachi Choudhary (third leg), and Vithya Ramraj (anchor). Vithya's strong finish in the closing stretch proved decisive against Bahrain's Salwa Eid Nasr.
How many medals did Vithya Ramraj win at the Asian Games?
Vithya Ramraj won three medals at this edition of the Asian Games — a silver, a bronze, and the relay gold. She also set a national record in the women's 400m hurdles the day before the relay final.
What was India's result in the women's relay at the previous Asian Games?
India had won silver in the women's 4x400m relay at the previous edition of the Asian Games. The gold at the current Games marks a step up from that result.
What did PM Modi say about the relay gold?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through the PMO's X account, called the win 'a proud moment for Indian athletics.' He praised the team's 'speed and determination' and described the victory as 'a wonderful example of what teamwork can achieve.'
