Shangyu, June 21 (IANS) India capped a memorable campaign at the Asian Relays Championships 2026 in Shangyu, China, with a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay after earlier securing silver in the 4x400m mixed relay and bronze in the 4x100m mixed relay at Asian Relay Championship 2026.

The team of Srabani Nanda, Sneha SS, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Tamanna achieved a season-best time of 43.85 seconds to win gold in the women’s 4x100m relay. This marked India’s highlight of the championships.

Earlier, India began its campaign with a silver medal in the 4x400m mixed relay. The team, featuring Olympian MR Poovamma, Neeru Pathak, Theerthesh P Shetty, and Barath Sridhar, finished second with a time of 3:17.06, behind Kazakhstan, which took gold in 3:16.75. Hosts China secured bronze in 3:17.20.

This silver was India’s second medal in the 4x400m mixed relay at the Asian Relays Championships. The team previously won gold in the first edition held in Bangkok in 2024. India’s national record in this event stands at 3:12.87, set by Muhammad Anas, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Muhammad Ajmal, and Kiran Pahal at the 2024 National Inter-State Athletics Championships.

India also earned bronze in the 4x100m mixed relay. The team included 200m national record holder Animesh Kujur, Pranav Gurav, Tamanna, and Sneha Shanuvalli. They finished with a time of 41.47 seconds, just 0.12 seconds short of the national record of 41.35 set earlier this year at the World Relays by Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur, and Sneha Shanuvalli.

Thailand won gold in this event with a time of 41.14 seconds, while China secured silver in 41.29 seconds.

The championships were an important international test for Indian relay teams ahead of a busy season that includes the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. India will also host the third edition of the Asian Relays Championships in Chandigarh in 2027.

The first edition of this competition occurred in Bangkok in 2024, where India won gold in the mixed 4x400m relay and silver medals in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay events.

–IANS

hs/