India continued their dominant run at the 4th South Asian Athletics Championships in Ranchi, bagging an impressive 7 gold, 8 silver, and 3 bronze medals on Day 2.
The day witnessed record-breaking performances, personal bests, and the emergence of exciting young talents, keeping India firmly on top of the medal standings. The evening session belonged to India’s hurdlers. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Tamil Nadu’s Nandhini K produced a stunning run of 13.56 seconds, smashing the 26-year-old meet record of 13.84s set in 1998 by Sri Lanka’s S. Fonseka. Her compatriot Moumita Mondal took silver with 13.81s, ensuring a 1–2 finish for India, while Sri Lanka’s W.V. Lakshika claimed bronze (13.98s).
In the men’s 110m hurdles, R. Manav clocked a personal best of 13.78 seconds, setting a new meet record and securing India’s sixth gold of the championships. The 21-year-old’s sharp improvement propelled him to fourth on India’s all-time list. Krishik M added bronze with a timing of 14.01s, rounding off another strong double-podium event for India.
Middle-Distance Dominance: Sanjana Shines Bright
India’s rising star Sanjana Singh, just 18, continued her sensational form. A day after winning the 5000m title, the Delhi youngster completed the 1500m-5000m double, clocking 4:25.36 for gold in a tight race. Sri Lanka’s Waliwarsha N came in close behind (4:25.52), while India’s Kajal Kanwade clinched bronze (4:26.21).
Sanjana’s remarkable 5000m time of 15:38.70 on Day 1 had already made her the ninth-fastest Indian woman ever over the distance, and her consistency across events now marks her as one of India’s brightest middle-distance prospects heading into 2026.
In the men’s 1500m, Arjun Waskale ran a controlled race to take gold with 3:54.58, ahead of Sri Lanka’s Rusiru Gallage (3:55.12). The Nagpur-based runner maintained his rhythm perfectly in the final lap to ensure India’s middle-distance sweep continued.
India’s women’s 400m duo delivered a commanding display. Neeru Pathak stormed to gold with 53.15s, while Olimba Steffi took silver (54.13s), completing another Indian 1–2. Sri Lanka’s Lakshima Mendis finished third (54.18s). On the men’s side, 18-year-old Mohammed Ashfaq from Kerala continued his rapid rise, clocking a personal best of 46.56s to win silver behind Sri Lanka’s Asian bronze medallist H.K. Kalinga, who ran 46.21s. Ashfaq, who recently clocked 46.87s at the Junior Nationals, has now improved his lifetime best twice in the same month — an encouraging sign for Indian 400m depth heading into 2026.
He had earlier helped India win gold in the mixed 4x400m relay on Day 1, underlining his growing stature.
Discus Power: Indian Throwers Sweep Both Events
The field events once again reflected India’s strength. In the women’s discus throw, Seema Kaliramna (55.14m) led an Indian 1–2 with Nidhi (52.18m) close behind, while Sri Lanka’s Vinodeni V.L. settled for bronze (43.01m).
The men’s discus throw followed a similar script Kirpal Singh clinched gold with 56.22m, narrowly edging out Nirbhay Singh (56.00m), while Sri Lanka’s Milantha W.D.M. took bronze (49.35m). The duo’s consistent performances reaffirmed India’s dominance in the throwing events.
In a closely contested men’s high jump final, Sri Lanka’s S.A.T. Dasun cleared 2.17m, breaking the meet record. India’s Rohit equalled the previous mark of 2.15m to take silver, while Aadarsh Ram claimed bronze with 2.11m both solid performances that demonstrated India’s growing depth in the vertical jumps. The 4x100m relays capped off the evening session in thrilling fashion. Sri Lanka bagged gold in both men’s and women’s races, but India pushed them all the way, setting new meet records despite finishing second in both events.
In the men’s relay, Sri Lanka clocked 39.99s (MR) while India’s quartet timed 40.65s (MR) for silver. Bangladesh took bronze in 40.94s. The women’s relay saw Sri Lanka win in 44.70s, with India close behind at 44.93s, both teams breaking the long-standing 1998 meet record of 45.65s.
India’s relay squads were without several frontline sprinters, yet their timings indicate promise ahead of 2026, as the Athletics Federation of India plans to focus on both short and long relays in the new season.
With seven gold medals on Day 2, India continue to lead the medal tally convincingly at the South Asian Athletics Championships in Ranchi. From Nandhini’s record-breaking hurdles run to Sanjana’s distance double and Ashfaq’s rising trajectory, the day showcased both depth and emerging potential in Indian athletics.
As the championship moves into its penultimate day, India’s focus will turn to the long-distance and relay events areas where more medals, and perhaps more records, await.
Medal Tally for Day 2: India – 7🥇 8🥈 3🥉 | Sri Lanka – 5🥇 4🥈 3🥉
