Asian Indoor Athletics Championships: Tejaswin Shankar Wins Gold as India Finishes Sixth Overall
India concluded its campaign at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships with a total of five medals, including one gold, to finish sixth in the overall medal standings. The highlight of the Indian contingent was , who clinched the men’s heptathlon gold, the country’s only top podium finish at the event.
Shankar delivered a dominant performance throughout the competition, scoring 5,993 points to claim gold and break his own national indoor record of 5,650 points set in 2021. He led the standings from the opening day and maintained control across all seven events of the heptathlon.
On the final day, Shankar ran the 60 metres hurdles in 8.02 seconds, earning 977 points. He then cleared 4.20 metres in the pole vault to add 673 points before finishing the 1,000 metres race in 2 minutes and 43.91 seconds, which sealed his record-breaking total.
Already India’s national record holder in the outdoor decathlon, Shankar has established himself as one of the country’s leading multi-event athletes. He had earlier won a silver medal at the , underlining his consistency at the continental level.
India’s other medal winners also produced strong performances. secured a silver medal in the women’s high jump after clearing 1.87 metres. In men’s shot put, claimed silver with a season-best throw of 20.05 metres, narrowly missing the gold.
won bronze in the women’s long jump with a best leap of 6.21 metres, while had earlier added another bronze in the high jump event.
dominated the championships, finishing at the top of the medal table with 34 medals, including 10 golds. Despite falling short of additional gold medals, Indian athletes recorded several personal and season-best performances, reflecting steady progress in the sport.
Our Thoughts
India’s performance at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships reflects a phase of consolidation rather than disappointment. Tejaswin Shankar’s gold, achieved with a national record, shows the rising standard of Indian multi-event athletes on the Asian stage. While the overall medal count may appear modest, the number of season-best and personal-best efforts suggests depth and gradual improvement across disciplines. Sustained support, exposure, and competition at this level will be key if India aims to convert such performances into more gold medals in future continental and global events.