Golden Day for India at Asian Athletics Championships 2025: Nandini, Pooja, Parul, and Gulveer Shine
India had a spectacular day at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025, adding multiple medals and records to their tally in Gumi. From Nandini Agasara’s gutsy heptathlon gold to Parul Chaudhary breaking her own national record, and 18-year-old Pooja scripting history in the high jump, it was a day where Indian athletes lit up the track and field.
Nandini Agasara Clinches Heptathlon Gold With a PB
In one of the most dramatic events of the day, Nandini Agasara claimed the gold medal in the women’s heptathlon, registering a personal best of 5941 points. Leading comfortably after five events, Nandini faltered in the javelin, managing just 34.18m, which saw her surrender her lead to China’s Liu Jingyi.
But Nandini showed immense grit in the final event, the 800m, where her strong pace and superior personal best proved decisive. She needed to beat Liu by at least five seconds — and she delivered with a commanding run to reclaim the lead and win India’s seventh gold medal of the Championships.
Pooja Makes History in Women’s High Jump
18-year-old Pooja stunned the field to become the Asian Champion in women’s high jump, clearing 1.89m to take the gold. It was a historic moment — India had not won gold in this event since 2000, a full 25 years ago, long before Pooja was even born.
She attempted the national record height after securing the title but fell short. Regardless, her gold marked a generational shift and put Indian women’s high jump back on the Asian map.
Gulveer Singh Wins Second Gold in 5000m
Gulveer Singh added another feather to his cap, winning the men’s 5000m final with a sensational final lap burst. Having already claimed the 10,000m title earlier, this was Gulveer’s second gold of the tournament and India’s sixth overall. His tactical running and explosive finish underlined his emergence as India’s top long-distance athlete on the continental stage.
Parul Chaudhary Breaks National Record Again
India’s distance queen Parul Chaudhary shattered her own national record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking 9:12.46 — improving on the mark she set just weeks earlier in Doha. Although not a gold-winning performance on the day, it reaffirmed her status as India’s best-ever steeplechaser and one of Asia’s finest.
🚨 Other Highlights:
- Animesh Kujur clocked 20.81s to finish second in his 200m semifinal and qualified for the final with the second-fastest overall time.
- Twinkle and Pooja qualified for the women’s 800m final, with Pooja clocking a PB of 2:02.70.
- In the men’s 800m, both Anu Kumar (1:47.00) and Krishan Kumar (1:48.66) progressed to the final.
- Vithya Ramraj (56.97s) and Anu Raghavan (57.48s) moved into the 400m hurdles final, making it two Indian women in contention for medals.
- In javelin, Sachin Yadav (79.62m) and Yashvir (76.67m) booked spots in the final scheduled for May 31, where they’ll face strong competition including Arshad Nadeem (86.34m) of Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga (83.71m).
- In the women’s 200m, Jyothi Yarraji (23.74s) and Nithya Gandhe (23.77s) made it to the final, keeping India’s sprint medal hopes alive.
- The only blip came early in the day as the men’s 4x100m relay team was disqualified due to a baton exchange error between Pranav and Ragul Kumar — a déjà vu moment recalling a similar mishap from 2017.
India’s Medal Tally Climbs
With three more gold medals added today — courtesy Nandini, Pooja, and Gulveer — India’s gold count now stands at eight. Strong qualifying performances across middle-distance and sprint events indicate that more podium finishes could be in store on the final day.
India’s athletes are not just winning medals — they’re breaking records, making history, and setting new personal bests. With one day to go at the Asian Athletics Championships, India’s track and field stars have already delivered one of their most memorable campaigns in recent years.
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