India broke its gold drought on the track at the 2026 Asian Games in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, as the women’s 4x400m relay team stormed to victory at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Delivering a masterclass in grit and teamwork, the quartet of Kiran, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi, and Vithya Ramraj clocked an impressive 3:29.69 to claim the top podium spot.
The race began with Kiran maintaining a steady pace through a competitive opening leg before handing the baton over in third place. Veteran runner M.R. Poovamma then produced a phenomenal second leg to thrust India into the lead, a position that individual 400m bronze medalist Prachi expertly maintained through the third leg.
That set the stage for anchor Vithya Ramraj, who capped off a remarkable individual campaign. Despite facing a fierce late charge from Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, Vithya held her nerve and composure under intense pressure to cross the finish line first. Bahrain secured the silver medal with a time of 3:30.21, while China took home the bronze after clocking 3:31.02.
This victory extends India’s historic hold on the event, marking their sixth women’s 4x400m relay gold in the last seven editions of the Asian Games. Coming shortly after Neeru Dhanda’s stellar trap shooting gold earlier in the day, the triumph boosted India’s overall medal tally to 51, featuring six gold, 21 silver, and 25 bronze medals.
