Nagoya, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India won the silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2026 Asian Games on Thursday, clocking 3:14.46 in a closely fought final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
The Indian quartet of Machettira Poovamma, Vishal Thennarasu, Ramraj Vithya and Thekkinalil Manu finished just 0.08 seconds ahead of Vietnam, who took bronze in 3:14.54. Bahrain claimed gold in a Games-record 3:12.87, while Japan finished fourth in 3:15.52.
India’s narrow advantage over Vietnam proved decisive as the quartet held its nerve in a thrilling battle for the podium.
The silver continued India’s strong record in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Games. After winning gold at Jakarta 2018 and silver at Hangzhou 2023, India have now won medals in the event at three successive editions.
For Vishal Thennarasu, the medal capped a breakthrough period in his career. The Tamil Nadu sprinter became the first Indian athlete to break the 45-second barrier in the men’s 400m when he clocked 44.98 seconds at the 2026 National Federation Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi, setting a new national record.
Vishal had earlier won gold in the mixed 4x400m relay and silver in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, where he also finished fourth in the individual 400m.
Vithya, another key member of India’s relay programme, has represented the country at the Olympic Games, including in the 4x400m relay at Paris 2024. She won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2022 Asian Games and bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2023 edition.
M.R. Poovamma brought considerable experience to the quartet. The Arjuna Award recipient has been a prominent member of India’s relay teams for more than a decade and won Asian Games gold in the women’s 4x400m relay at Incheon 2014 and Jakarta 2018. She was also part of India’s gold-medal-winning mixed 4x400m relay team at Jakarta 2018.
Manu Saji, an emerging quarter-miler, also has international success in the mixed relay, having won gold in the event at the 2022 Asian U20 Athletics Championships.
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