Nagoya, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Seema Kumari ended the country’s 16-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the women’s 10,000m after securing bronze in the final at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Thursday.
Seema clocked 32:50.05 to finish third behind Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi, who won gold in 32:39.18, and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka, who claimed silver in 32:41.54.
The Indian long-distance runner made an impressive start and led the field through the opening 2,000m. She completed the first 1,000m in 3:18.12 before reaching the 2,000m mark in 6:36.13.
As the pace increased, Seema slipped to fourth but remained within touching distance of the leaders. With 1,000m remaining, she moved back into third and held her position through the final stages to secure the bronze.
Seema finished 10.87 seconds behind Yavi, while Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei finished fourth in 33:03.21, more than 13 seconds behind the Indian.
The bronze made Seema only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the 10,000m. Preeja Sreedharan won gold in 2010, while Kavita Raut claimed silver at the same edition.
Born on January 10, 2001, in Himachal Pradesh, Seema has established herself as one of India’s leading distance runners, with the 5,000m and 10,000m as her main events.
She entered the Nagoya Games after a strong 2026 season. In March, she clocked a personal best of 32:02.43 in the 10,000m at The TEN in California, finishing fifth in a competitive international field. She then improved her 5,000m personal best to 15:16.20 in April.
Seema’s recent achievements also include a silver medal in the 5,000m at the 2025 FISU World University Games, gold in the senior women’s race at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong and gold in the 10,000m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in 2026.
Earlier on Thursday, India’s Animesh Kujur and national record holder Gurindervir Singh advanced to the men’s 100m semi-finals.
Kujur finished third in Heat 1 in 10.36 seconds, while Gurindervir was second in Heat 4 in 10.38 seconds. The top three athletes from each heat qualified automatically, with both Indians securing their places. The men’s 100m semi-finals are scheduled for Friday.
FOLLOW NOW
