India claimed its sixth gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games as the women’s 4x400m relay team triumphed in Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday. The quartet of Kiran Pahal, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi, and Vithya Ramraj clocked 3:29.69 to secure the nation’s first track and field gold of the multi-sport event.
The victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Games marked a milestone for the Indian contingent, pushing the nation’s total medal count to 53 on the tenth day of competition. Tuesday also saw the team surpass the 50-medal threshold for the sixth Asian Games, a streak maintained since 2006. While track and field yielded its first gold through the relay squad, the broader athletic program and shooting events continued to pad the tally across multiple disciplines.
How the Women’s 4x400m Relay Team Secured Gold
India’s path to the top of the podium required overcoming a sluggish start. Opening runner Kiran Pahal lost ground during the initial leg, handing off the baton while the team sat in third place. Poovamma Machettira quickly rectified the deficit, accelerating through her leg to propel India into the lead. Prachi maintained that front-running position through the third leg, setting up Vithya Ramraj for the anchor run.
The final stretch brought intense pressure from Bahrain’s anchor, Salwa Eid Nasser. Receiving the baton in last place, Nasser carved through the field and closed the gap on Vithya. Yet Vithya held her ground under fire, crossing the finish line first to seal the victory. The quartet finished in 3:29.69, holding off Bahrain by a narrow margin.
| Nation | Time | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| India | 3:29.69 | Gold |
| Bahrain | 3:30.21 | Silver |
| People’s Republic of China | 3:31.02 | Bronze |
For Vithya, the relay gold capped an exhausting and historic stretch. Just a day prior, she broke PT Usha’s 400m hurdles record, and the relay victory marked her third medal of the Nagoya Games.
Gulveer Singh’s Medal Hat-Trick and Neeru Dhanda’s Shooting Triumph
Beyond the relay track, Indian athletes piled up crucial podium finishes elsewhere in Nagoya. Distance runner Gulveer Singh claimed a bronze medal in the 5000-meter final with a time of 13 minutes and 32.75 seconds.
In the shooting ranges, Neeru Dhanda captured an individual gold in women’s trap shooting, delivering India’s second shooting gold of the Games. Dhanda’s victory carried an extraordinary personal backstory. Just ten days prior to the event, she was hospitalized with a severe case of flu and unable to eat or drink for five days.
Her coach, Mansher Singh, intervened during the health scare to refocus her mindset. Mansher sir said just forget what happened and focus on the target, and I did just that, Dhanda said after securing her win, making her the first Indian woman to claim gold in the trap event.
Additional Track and Field Podiums on Day Ten
The medal rush extended across multiple technical and relay events during a productive day for the delegation. The 4x100m mixed relay squad added a bronze medal to India’s tally, finishing in 41.06 seconds. Gurिnderveer Singh supplied a rapid start, and Sneha maintained the momentum before Animesh was overtaken by Thailand’s Bunson. However, anchor runner Harita mounted a strong final charge to capture the bronze behind China, which took gold at 40.78 seconds, and silver-winning Thailand at 40.87 seconds.
In the field events, Pooja contributed another bronze by clearing the bar in the women’s high jump. With the eight medals collected on Tuesday alone, India’s overall count climbed to 53, holding the tenth position on the medals table as the competition heads into its closing stages.