Seema Kumari wins Asian Games 10,000m bronze, ends India's 16-year wait
Synopsis
For the first time since Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut swept the podium at the 2010 Asian Games, India has a women's 10,000m medallist. Seema Kumari's bronze in Nagoya is not just a personal landmark — it closes a 16-year gap that spanned four Asian Games cycles, and signals that India's women's long-distance pipeline is producing at the highest continental level.
Key Takeaways
Seema Kumari won bronze in the women's 10,000m at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on 24 September 2026 .
Her finishing time was 32:50.05 ; gold went to Bahrain's Winfred Yavi ( 32:39.18 ) and silver to Japan's Nozomi Tanaka ( 32:41.54 ).
The medal ends a 16-year wait — India's last women's 10,000m Asian Games medal was in 2010 , when Preeja Sreedharan won gold and Kavita Raut won silver.
Seema is only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the event.
Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh also qualified for the men's 100m semi-finals , scheduled for Friday .
India's long-distance runner Seema Kumari ended a 16-year medal drought in the women's 10,000m at the Asian Games on 24 September 2026, claiming bronze at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya. Her finish time of 32:50.05 made her only the third Indian woman ever to win an Asian Games medal in the event.
How the race unfolded
Seema stamped her authority early, leading the field through the opening 2,000m and hitting the first 1,000m split in 3:18.12 before reaching 2,000m in 6:36.13. As the pace sharpened mid-race, she slipped to fourth but refused to fall away, keeping the leaders within range. With 1,000m to go, she surged back into third and held her nerve through the closing stages to secure the podium finish.
Final standings
Bahrain's Winfred Yavi took gold in 32:39.18, with Japan's Nozomi Tanaka claiming silver in 32:41.54. Seema finished 10.87 seconds behind Yavi. Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei was fourth in 33:03.21 — more than 13 seconds adrift of the Indian.
Historic significance
The last time India earned an Asian Games medal in the women's 10,000m was at the 2010 Asian Games, when Preeja Sreedharan won gold and Kavita Raut claimed silver. Seema's bronze at this edition breaks a gap spanning four Asian Games cycles and confirms her standing as one of India's premier distance runners.
Seema's road to Nagoya
Born on 10 January 2001 in Himachal Pradesh, Seema arrived in Nagoya in fine form. In March 2026, she clocked a personal best of 32:02.43 in the 10,000m at The TEN in California, finishing fifth in a competitive international field. She subsequently improved her 5,000m personal best to 15:16.20 in April. Her recent honours include a silver in the 5,000m at the 2025 FISU World University Games, gold at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong, and gold in the 10,000m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in 2026.
India's 100m sprinters also advance
In the men's 100m heats on the same day, Animesh Kujur finished third in Heat 1 in 10.36 seconds, while national record holder Gurindervir Singh was second in Heat 4 in 10.38 seconds. Both automatically qualified for the semi-finals, which are scheduled for Friday.
With Seema's bronze on the board and two sprinters in the semis, India's athletics campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya is gathering momentum with more finals still to come.
Point of View
With personal bests tumbling through 2026, suggests that stall may finally be over. But the gap between her bronze time and Yavi's gold — nearly 11 seconds — also signals how much ground India's distance runners must close to become consistent gold contenders at the continental level, not merely bronze medallists.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What medal did Seema Kumari win at the 2026 Asian Games?
Seema Kumari won the bronze medal in the women's 10,000m at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on 24 September, clocking 32:50.05. It is only the third Asian Games medal ever won by an Indian woman in the event.
Who won gold and silver in the women's 10,000m at Asian Games 2026?
Bahrain's Winfred Yavi won gold in 32:39.18, while Japan's Nozomi Tanaka claimed silver in 32:41.54. Seema Kumari finished third in 32:50.05.
Why is Seema Kumari's bronze called a 16-year wait?
India's previous women's 10,000m Asian Games medals came at the 2010 edition, where Preeja Sreedharan won gold and Kavita Raut won silver. No Indian woman had reached the podium in the event across the 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions.
Who are the other Indian women to have won an Asian Games medal in the 10,000m?
Preeja Sreedharan, who won gold in 2010, and Kavita Raut, who won silver at the same edition, are the only two Indian women to have won Asian Games medals in the women's 10,000m before Seema Kumari.
Which other Indian athletes advanced at the 2026 Asian Games athletics on 24 September?
Animesh Kujur and national record holder Gurindervir Singh both qualified for the men's 100m semi-finals, finishing third and second in their respective heats in 10.36 and 10.38 seconds. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday.
