Chennai, October 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four records were improved on the second day of the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, with Telangana’s Lodenge Ramu, Uttar Pradesh’s Tanu Chaudhary and Rajasthan’s Chuki Birda among the standout performers.
Lodenge Ramu broke a decade-old national record in the men’s under-18 400m, winning gold in 46.80 seconds. His time bettered Chandan Bauri’s previous national record of 46.99 seconds, set in 2015. Ramu also surpassed the previous meet record of 47.48 seconds, established by Sayed Sabeer last year.
Uttar Pradesh’s Tanu Chaudhary made her mark in the women’s under-18 400m, claiming gold in 53.40 seconds. Her performance improved the previous meet record of 53.85 seconds, set by Jisna Mathew in 2015.
Rajasthan’s Chuki Birda won the women’s under-20 pole vault gold with a clearance of 3.91 metres, surpassing Vanshika Ghanghas’s national record of 3.90 metres, set last year. Birda also bettered the previous meet record of 3.80 metres, established by Karthika V.
Tamil Nadu’s Tharanesh C. completed the record-breaking performances by improving the boys’ under-16 shot put national record. His gold-winning throw of 17.86 metres eclipsed Nitesh Kumar’s previous mark of 17.42 metres, set in 2024.
The second day also featured strong performances across several other track and field events, with athletes from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra and other states claiming podium finishes.
In the men’s under-20 400m, Vaibhav Bhardwaj of Uttar Pradesh won gold in 47.45 seconds, ahead of Maharashtra’s Raj Chauhan (47.64 seconds) and Thanish Gaddam (47.68 seconds).
Tamil Nadu’s Jithin RC took the men’s under-20 long jump title with a leap of 7.64 metres. Delhi’s Ayush Yadav finished second with 7.51 metres, while Kerala’s Dhanush Raj M secured third place with 7.50 metres.
Punjab’s Devansh Jagga won the men’s under-20 discus throw with 55.35 metres. Madhya Pradesh’s Yashraj Jain took silver with 54.13 metres, followed by state-mate Usman Ali Khan with 53.74 metres.
Uttar Pradesh athletes swept the podium in the men’s under-20 hammer throw. Kartik won gold with 67.54 metres, Aman claimed silver with 67.19 metres, and Mohd Abdulla finished third with 64.96 metres.
In the men’s under-20 decathlon, Gujarat’s Jakhar Rahul topped the standings with 7,125 points. Abhay Singh of Uttar Pradesh finished second with 6,697 points, while Madhya Pradesh’s Aryan Prakash took third with 6,288 points.
Madhya Pradesh’s Krishan Chandra won the men’s under-18 javelin throw with 74.83 metres, followed by Karnataka’s Pushpak Nelwade with 73.43 metres. The third-place performance was not specified in the results provided.
In the boys’ under-14 Triathlon A, Uttar Pradesh’s Saurav Bind secured gold with 2,195 points. Rajasthan’s Rajveer Gurjar finished second with 2,179 points, while West Bengal’s Barno Das took third with 2,137 points.
In the women’s under-20 400m, West Bengal’s Tahura Khatun won gold in 54.64 seconds. Uttar Pradesh’s Vanshika Rathi finished second in 55.08 seconds, while Punjab’s Maya took bronze in 55.11 seconds.
Kerala’s Jeena Basil finished second behind Birda in the women’s under-20 pole vault with 3.80 metres, while Madhya Pradesh’s Tanishka Dayma took third with 3.50 metres.
In the girls’ under-16 shot put, Karnataka’s Tejaswini G Rao won gold with 13.48 metres. Haryana’s Hanpreet finished second with 13.10 metres, while Maharashtra’s Jayani Patil took third with 12.33 metres.
Delhi’s Meera Bobal won the girls’ under-14 Triathlon A with 2,617 points. Tamil Nadu’s Yazhini AM finished second with 2,503 points, while Punjab’s Tamanna secured third place with 2,448 points.
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