India continued its impressive run at the Asian U-20 Athletics Championships 2026 in Hong Kong, adding three more gold medals to its tally on Saturday and maintaining its position among the top-performing nations of the competition.
The day belonged to India’s rising track and field talents, who delivered standout performances across jumping and distance events. The highlight came in the men’s long jump, where Shahnavaz Khan led a memorable Indian 1-2 finish. Shahnavaz clinched the gold medal with a best leap of 7.84m, while compatriot Jithin Arjunan Raman Chandrasekaran secured silver with 7.66m, underlining India’s growing strength in the horizontal jumps.
Shahnavaz had entered the tournament as one of India’s brightest prospects after setting the national U-20 long jump record of 8.23m earlier this season. He lived up to expectations with another dominant display on the continental stage.
India’s first gold of the day came through Nikhil Chandrashekar in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. The youngster produced a personal-best effort of 9:25.44 to finish on top of the podium, showcasing excellent endurance and race control in a highly competitive field.
The third gold medal arrived in the men’s high jump, where Basant cleared 2.20m to secure the title. His victory further strengthened India’s medal tally and added to a successful campaign in the field events.
Apart from the gold medals, India also collected a bronze through Aarti in the women’s 200m. She clocked a personal-best 24.12 seconds to finish third, narrowly edging into the podium positions in a closely fought sprint race.
However, the day also brought disappointment for the Indian camp. The mixed 4x400m relay team was disqualified, ending hopes of another potential medal. Relay events have traditionally been one of India’s strongest disciplines, making the setback even more frustrating for the contingent.
India’s overall campaign has been marked by several outstanding performances. Earlier in the championship, Pooja Singh produced one of the biggest moments of the tournament by winning the women’s high jump gold with a record-breaking leap of 1.93m. The effort shattered a 14-year-old national U-20 record and established a new benchmark in Indian junior athletics.
Race walker Nitin Gupta also impressed with gold in the men’s 5000m race walk, while Rahul Jakhar claimed the decathlon title with a national U-20 record performance. India has consistently remained among the leading nations in the medal standings, reflecting the depth of talent emerging from the country’s junior athletics system.
With the final day still remaining, the Indian contingent will look to add more medals and finish the championship on a high note as preparations continue for future international competitions, including the World U-20 Athletics Championships.
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