Nagoya, September 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Gulveer Singh created history at the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday by completing a three-medal haul, but the distance runner said he was not fully satisfied with his performance as his ambition of winning gold and hearing the Indian National Anthem on the podium remained unfulfilled.
The 27-year-old secured bronze in the men’s 5000m final, clocking 13:32.75 at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. The medal added to the two silver medals he had won earlier in the 10,000m and 1500m events.
Gulveer became the first Indian athlete in 40 years to win three medals at a single edition of the Asian Games. However, he said he had arrived in Nagoya with the target of winning gold.
“One thing is that I am not satisfied because I had come here thinking that my national anthem would be played. My only dream was to stand on the podium and have the National Anthem played. That did not happen. We will see next time and come back after working even harder,” Gulveer told the broadcaster after the race.
Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew won the 5000m gold in 13:30.79, while Japan’s Yamaguchi Tomonori claimed silver in 13:31.43.
Gulveer had earlier won silver in the men’s 10,000m with a time of 28:29.38, finishing behind Balew. The result also made him the first Indian to win two Asian Games medals in the men’s 10,000m, following his bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
He then added another silver in the 1500m, clocking a personal best of 3:36.72. Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa won gold in an Asian Games record of 3:36.35, while compatriot Nagiya Mori took bronze.
Reflecting on his campaign, Gulveer said the preparation and support he received from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) helped him manage the challenging weather conditions in Nagoya.
“It turned out to be good because of the way we trained and came here. We had good weather for training, good support and a good coach. AFI has continuously supported us,” he said.
Gulveer also spoke about the training arrangements made by AFI, including his stints in the United States. He said that after the Commonwealth Games, AFI had encouraged him to continue training there ahead of the World Cross Country event in January. He returned to India for around a month for the Commonwealth Games before going back to the US to resume training.
He said the arrangement had benefited his preparation, particularly as athletes could not remain in the US for six months continuously.
The distance runner, who comes from an Army background, said he initially took up running as part of his preparation for recruitment and had little knowledge of athletics at the time.
“I was preparing for recruitment. I did not have much knowledge about athletics. Then I joined the Army, and after joining the Army, things developed from there,” he said.
Asked when he first began dreaming of winning a medal for India, Gulveer said he preferred to focus on future goals rather than dwell on past achievements.
“What happened today is over, so leave it. Now we will think about what to do next. We have to keep climbing the steps and forget what we have done in the past. We have to think about what we need to do next,” he said.
Gulveer also urged young athletes to focus on nutrition, discipline and guidance from their coaches. He advised them to be cautious about what they consume and to seek professional advice before taking anything that could affect their performance.
“Eat a good diet and work hard. Follow what your coach tells you. My request to the younger athletes is to eat a good diet and not consume anything that is harmful. Check twice, check 10 times, and then ask your coach whether something is good or bad. Do not eat the wrong things. Eat the right things,” he said.
Gulveer said his three-medal campaign would bring happiness to his parents, family, coaches and support staff, including the sports science team and his US-based coach. He also acknowledged the continued support of AFI throughout his preparation.
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