Sixteen-year-old Shourya Ambure continued her stellar 2025 season by winning the silver medal in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the Asian Youth Games 2025, clocking a personal best of 13.73 seconds.
The young hurdler, who has been on a meteoric rise this year, once again proved her consistency and composure on the continental stage, marking yet another milestone in her growing career. For Shourya, this silver medal is the culmination of a season that has showcased both her raw speed and technical maturity. Earlier this year, she had clinched gold at the National Junior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, establishing herself as one of India’s brightest young hurdlers. She also won a bronze at the Asian U-18 Championships, making the Asian Youth Games her third major podium finish of 2025.
Her progression has been remarkable from a promising junior athlete to an international medallist in just one season. The improvement from her heat time of 14.00 seconds to a 13.73-second finish in the final reflects her ability to rise to the occasion under pressure. Each stride over the hurdles displayed sharp rhythm and confidence hallmarks of an athlete coming into her own.
Rising Talent in India’s Youth Athletics
Shourya’s silver wasn’t an isolated achievement. India’s young athletes continued to make their presence felt on Day 1 of the Athletics events, bringing home three medals across track and field. In the women’s shot put final, Jasmine Kaur clinched the bronze medal with a throw of 14.86m, while compatriot Joy Baidwan finished sixth with 14.53m. Jasmine’s throw, just shy of her season’s best, secured India’s first field medal of the meet and underlined her consistency in major competitions.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 5000m race walk, Palash Mandal delivered a gritty performance to win bronze, clocking 24:48.92s. His effort brought India its second race walk medal of the competition, following Ranjana Yadav’s silver earlier in the women’s 5000m race walk. Ranjana had finished with 24:25.88, while Riya Rathore narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 25:26.93.
These performances reflect India’s growing strength across disciplines from sprint hurdles to endurance walking to field events at the youth level.
From Bhubaneswar to Bahrain: The Journey of a Young Star
Born in 2009, Shourya Ambure has shown exceptional promise since her early days on the junior circuit. Her breakthrough came at the 2025 National Junior Championships, where she stormed to victory in the 100m hurdles final with a commanding run that drew attention from national coaches. Her technique crisp over hurdles, powerful between them has been the foundation of her rapid rise. Working closely with her coaches over the past year, Shourya has fine-tuned her starts and transitions, which have often given her an edge in tight races.
The silver medal in Bahrain, achieved against Asia’s best under-18 hurdlers, marks another major step forward. It also cements her position as one of the top youth hurdlers in the region a name likely to feature prominently in India’s junior and senior athletics plans heading into the next Olympic cycle.
India’s Overall Performance on Day 1
Apart from the medals, several Indian athletes also advanced to the next rounds in various events:
- In the women’s 400m heats, Edwina Jason clocked 55.71s to finish second and qualify for the semifinals, while Tannu followed with 57.54s, also making the cut.
- Among the men, Ramu Lodenge posted a personal best of 49.62s in his 400m heat to qualify for the semis.
- In the men’s 100m heats, Divyansh Raj (11.01s) and Nikhil Kamal (11.16s) both advanced to the next round before bowing out in the semifinals.
These performances underscore the strength and depth of India’s youth squad, showing promise not only in medals but also in progression across multiple events.
For Shourya Ambure, the silver medal is more than just a podium finish it’s a statement of intent. At 16, she’s already among Asia’s fastest hurdlers in her age group, and with continued training and international exposure, she could soon break into the senior ranks. Her 2025 season highlighted by Asian U-18 bronze, National Junior gold, and now Asian Youth silver stands as a model of steady growth. Each competition has refined her, and each hurdle cleared has brought her closer to her ultimate goal: representing India at the world stage.
As the sun set on Bahrain’s first day of athletics, it wasn’t just a medal tally that defined India’s success it was the emergence of young athletes like Shourya, Jasmine, and Palash who continue to carry India’s hopes into the future.
