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India's Athletics Near-Misses Leave Gold Elusive at Asian Games
India’s athletes had several chances to win gold medals at the Asian Games.
Ancy Sojan was leading the women’s long jump for much of the event.
But China’s Yingying Huang jumped two centimetres farther on her last attempt.
Shaili Singh also came close but finished fourth.
Tejaswin Shankar won a bronze medal in the decathlon, though he believed he could have finished higher.
Sarvesh Kushare won silver in the high jump after missing an important height.
These results left India still waiting for its first athletics gold medal at the Games.
India had four gold medals overall, compared with China’s 119 at that point.
Ancy Sojan lost women’s long-jump gold to China’s Yingying Huang by two centimetres, settling for silver.
Shaili Singh finished fourth in the long jump after China’s Mengyi Tan moved into bronze position with her final jump.
Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze but said he had missed an opportunity for gold or silver.
Sarvesh Kushare also took silver in the high jump after failing to clear the 2.28-metre height needed to challenge for gold.
India’s athletics team remained without a gold medal, while the country’s overall tally stood at four golds, 16 silvers and 17 bronzes.
- Who
- Indian athletes Ancy Sojan, Shaili Singh, Tejaswin Shankar and Sarvesh Kushare, along with competitors from China, Taiwan and South Korea.
- What
- Indian athletes won two silver medals and one bronze in the highlighted athletics events but missed out on gold.
- Where
- The Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, including competition at Mizuho Park.
- When
- Sunday, September 27, 2026.
- Why
- Indian athletes narrowly missed gold after rivals produced decisive final attempts, while some Indians could not clear key heights or reach their expected performance levels.
Athletes’ assessment
Official medal results
Performance expectations
Athletes’ assessment
Tejaswin Shankar said his performance was a lost opportunity for gold or silver, and Sarvesh Kushare said he was not satisfied with silver.
Official medal results
The results still delivered medals: Shankar won bronze and Kushare won silver.
Long-jump outcome
Athletes’ assessment
India had been in contention for a possible double medal, with Sojan leading for much of the contest and Singh in the bronze position before the final round.
Official medal results
China’s final-round jumps changed the standings, giving Huang gold and Tan bronze while leaving Sojan with silver and Singh fourth.
Key facts
- Women’s long jump
- Ancy Sojan won silver with a best jump of 6.53 metres.
- Winning jump
- Yingying Huang won gold with 6.55 metres, two centimetres farther than Sojan.
- Other long-jump result
- Shaili Singh finished fourth with 6.42 metres, four centimetres short of bronze.
- Decathlon
- Tejaswin Shankar won bronze with 7,934 points across 10 events.
- Men’s high jump
- Sarvesh Kushare won silver after failing to clear 2.28 metres.
- India’s medal tally
- India had four golds, 16 silvers and 17 bronzes at the time of the report.
- China’s gold tally
- China led the standings with 119 gold medals at that point.
Quotes
Tejaswin Shankar
Indian decathlete who won the bronze medal
“There is a little bit of heartbreak for the two centimetres. Disappointed that the gold slipped out of my hand.”
indianexpress.com
“It’s a lost opportunity of a gold or silver. So here I am settling for a bronze medal.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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