Asian Games 2026: Modi hails Gulveer, Manpreet, Baranica on athletics medals
Synopsis
In a single session at the Asian Games 2026, India rewrote its athletics record books — Gulveer Singh became the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the men's 10,000m, Manpreet Kaur joined an exclusive three-person club of Indian women's shot put medallists, and Baranica Elangovan became the first Indian ever to medal in women's pole vault at the Asian Games, all on debut.
Key Takeaways
Gulveer Singh won silver in the men's 10,000m at Asian Games 2026 with a clocking of 28:29.38 , becoming the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the event.
Manpreet Kaur claimed bronze in the women's shot put with a 17.17m throw, only the third Indian woman to medal in the event at the Asian Games.
Baranica Elangovan cleared 4.15m to win bronze in the women's pole vault on her Asian Games debut — a first for any Indian athlete in that event.
PM Narendra Modi personally congratulated all three athletes via posts on X on 25 September 2026 .
India's athletics haul on the day stood at two silvers and one bronze at Aichi-Nagoya .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 25 September 2026, congratulated Indian athletes Gulveer Singh, Manpreet Kaur, and Baranica Elangovan following their podium finishes at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The trio collectively added two silver medals and one bronze to India's athletics tally on the day.
Gulveer Singh Makes Asian Games History in Men's 10,000m
Gulveer Singh claimed silver in the men's 10,000m with a clocking of 28:29.38, finishing behind gold medallist Bahrain's Birhanu Balew (28:27.51). Bahrain's Albert Kiptoo took bronze in 28:34.38. The result made Gulveer the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the men's 10,000m — he had previously won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Gulveer remained with the lead group through much of the 25-lap race, staying in medal contention with 2,000m remaining before holding his nerve in the closing stages to secure the podium finish.
The Prime Minister's Office wrote in a post on X: 'A bronze earlier and now a silver in Aichi-Nagoya. Gulveer Singh keeps making us proud on the Asian Games podium! Congratulations to him on a fine run in the Men's 10,000m event. His perseverance and progress will inspire young distance runners across India.'
Manpreet Kaur Joins Elite List in Women's Shot Put
Manpreet Kaur secured bronze in the women's shot put with a best throw of 17.17m, produced on her fourth attempt, to finish behind China's Song Jiayuan and Zhang Linru. The achievement made her only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the shot put, following Barbara Webster and Kiran Baliyan, both of whom had previously won bronze in the event.
Manpreet, a former Asian Athletics Championships medallist, had finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games before returning to the Asian Games podium. Compatriot Krishna Jayasankar Menon finished fifth with a throw of 16.57m. The PMO wrote: 'A fine effort in shot put by Manpreet Kaur! Her impressive throw has earned her a bronze medal at the Asian Games. Congratulations to Manpreet! Wishing her continued success.'
Baranica Elangovan Creates History in Women's Pole Vault
Baranica Elangovan etched her name in Indian athletics history by becoming the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in the women's pole vault. The 29-year-old cleared 4.15m to share the bronze with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova, who matched her mark on countback. Baranica had cleared 3.85m and 4.00m on her first attempts before clearing 4.15m on her second try. She was unable to clear 4.25m across three attempts.
The PMO noted: 'A special leap and an exemplary medal for India! Congratulations to Baranica Elangovan on winning the bronze in the women's pole vault at her Asian Games debut. A proud achievement that will inspire many more young athletes to take up the sport.'
Baranica's medal capped a breakthrough season in which she improved the national record twice — first clearing 4.22m in March before raising it to 4.23m in May. Notably, this was her maiden Asian Games appearance, making the historic bronze all the more significant.
India's Athletics Momentum at Aichi-Nagoya
The three podium finishes on 25 September underlined India's growing depth in track-and-field disciplines. With multiple firsts recorded in a single session — Gulveer's second Asian Games medal in 10,000m, Manpreet's entry into an exclusive three-person club, and Baranica's pioneering pole vault bronze — the day marked one of India's stronger individual athletics showings at a recent Asian Games. All eyes will now be on whether the nation can build further on this momentum in the remaining days of competition at Aichi-Nagoya.
Point of View
Each with a 'first' attached — this is not a coincidence but a signal of structural depth building in Indian track-and-field. The more telling detail is Baranica's pole vault bronze on debut: pole vault has historically been an afterthought in Indian athletics planning, and a podium finish on a first Asian Games appearance suggests that grassroots investment in technical events is beginning to yield returns. The question for athletics administrators now is whether these breakthroughs translate into sustained funding, coaching continuity, and competition access — or become isolated peaks, as has happened before with Indian distance and field athletes who peaked once and faded without institutional support.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gulveer Singh achieve at the Asian Games 2026?
Gulveer Singh won silver in the men's 10,000m at the Asian Games 2026, clocking 28:29.38 in Aichi-Nagoya. The result made him the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the event, having previously won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
How did Manpreet Kaur perform at the Asian Games 2026 shot put?
Manpreet Kaur won bronze in the women's shot put with a best throw of 17.17m on her fourth attempt, finishing behind China's Song Jiayuan and Zhang Linru. She became only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the shot put, after Barbara Webster and Kiran Baliyan.
Why is Baranica Elangovan's bronze medal historic?
Baranica Elangovan became the first Indian athlete to win an Asian Games medal in the women's pole vault, clearing 4.15m to share bronze with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova on countback. The achievement came on her Asian Games debut and followed a breakthrough season in which she improved India's national record twice.
What did PM Modi say about the Indian athletes' performances?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through PMO posts on X, congratulated all three athletes individually on 25 September 2026. He praised Gulveer Singh's perseverance, called Manpreet Kaur's throw 'impressive', and described Baranica Elangovan's achievement as 'a special leap and an exemplary medal for India'.
How many medals did India win in athletics at the Asian Games on 25 September 2026?
India won three athletics medals on 25 September 2026 at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya — a silver each for Gulveer Singh (men's 10,000m) and one other, and bronzes for Manpreet Kaur (women's shot put) and Baranica Elangovan (women's pole vault), adding two silvers and a bronze to the national tally.
