Harita Bhadra Wins Bronze in Womens 200m at Asian Games; Animesh Kujur Finishes Fifth

Nagoya, September 27 (Daily Kiran) : India concluded its sprint events at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with mixed results in the women’s and men’s 200-meter finals. Harita Bhadra clinched a bronze medal in a fiercely contested race, while Animesh Kujur finished in fifth place among the men.

Harita Bhadra clocked a time of 23.20 seconds to secure third place in the women’s 200-meter race. Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira claimed the gold medal with a time of 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver at 22.93 seconds. Harita’s teammate, Unnati Ayappa Boland, finished sixth in the final with a time of 23.46 seconds.

This bronze medal marks a significant achievement for India, ending a wait for a podium finish in the women’s 200-meter event at the Asian Games. The last time India secured a medal in this category was in 2018 when Dutee Chand won bronze. At just 23 years old, Harita has become the sixth Indian woman to medal in the 200 meters at this continental event.

The Maharashtra sprinter had previously won the national title at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship, where she set her personal best of 23.14 seconds, paving the way for her participation in these Games.

On the men’s side, Animesh Kujur finished fifth in the 200-meter final. Thailand’s Puripol Boonson dominated the event, winning both the 100 and 200 meters, and equaling the Asian record with a time of 19.88 seconds.

Despite a strong performance in the heats, Animesh was unable to maintain the necessary speed in the final, completing the race in 20.80 seconds. Earlier in the Games, he also reached the semifinals of the 100 meters.

Currently, India stands in 12th place in the medal tally with a total of 33 medals, comprising 4 gold, 14 silver, and 15 bronze.