Harita Bhadra Wins 200m Bronze as India’s Asian Games Medal Tally Hits 37

By AMIT KUMAR

Harita Bhadra’s Bronze Adds to India’s Asian Games Medal Rush; India Reaches 37

New Delhi, September 27, 2026 — Harita Bhadra produced one of India’s notable sprint performances at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 200m as India added seven medals on Sunday.

Bhadra clocked 23.20 seconds in the final to finish third, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Japan’s Ido Abigeirufuka. Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira won gold in 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93 seconds.

The bronze is particularly significant for Indian sprinting. It ended India’s wait for a women’s 200m Asian Games medal since Dutee Chand’s bronze in 2018. Bhadra, 23, also became only the sixth Indian woman to win a 200m medal at the continental Games.

Her performance came after she had lowered her personal best to 23.14 seconds at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, where she won the national title. Her Asian Games time was only 0.06 seconds slower.

India’s Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland finished sixth in the same final in 23.46 seconds.

Seven medals in one day

Bhadra was part of a seven-medal Indian haul on September 27. Athletics contributed five medals, while squash produced two silver medals.

India’s September 27 medal winners were:

Ancy Sojan Edappilly — Silver, women’s long jump: 6.53m, finishing behind China’s Huang Yingying, who won with 6.55m.

Sarvesh Kushare — Silver, men’s high jump: cleared 2.25m.

Anahat Singh — Silver, women’s singles squash.

Abhay Singh — Silver, men’s singles squash.

Harita Bhadra — Bronze, women’s 200m: 23.20 seconds.

Parul Chaudhary — Bronze, women’s 3000m steeplechase: 9:08.67, a national record.

Tejaswin Shankar — Bronze, men’s decathlon: 7,934 points.

Parul Chaudhary’s bronze was accompanied by a new national record. Tejaswin Shankar also produced a strong all-round performance in the decathlon, while Sarvesh and Ancy narrowly missed gold in their respective finals.

India’s medal tally

At the end of September 27, India stood at 37 medals — four gold, 16 silver and 17 bronze. The country was placed 12th in the overall standings.

India’s four gold medals have come from women’s cricket, shooting and both men’s and women’s kabaddi.

The women’s cricket team won India’s first gold of the Games in the women’s T20 event. Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh then added gold in the 10m air-pistol mixed team event. India subsequently completed a kabaddi golden double, with both the women’s and men’s teams defeating Iran in their respective finals.

India’s silver medal winners

India’s 16 silver medals include:

• Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod — women’s 10m air rifle team
• Elavenil Valarivan — women’s 10m air rifle
• Rudrankksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane — men’s 10m air rifle team
• Himanshu Dhillon — men’s 10m air rifle
• Mirabai Chanu — women’s 49kg weightlifting
• Naorem Roshibina Devi — women’s sanda 60kg wushu
• India mixed 4x400m relay team
• Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar — men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team
• Gulveer Singh — men’s 10,000m
• Sawan Barwal — men’s marathon
• Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen and Vidarsa Vinod — women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team
• Tajinderpal Singh Toor — men’s shot put
• Ancy Sojan Edappilly — women’s long jump
• Sarvesh Kushare — men’s high jump
• Anahat Singh — women’s singles squash
• Abhay Singh — men’s singles squash.

India’s bronze medal winners

India’s 17 bronze medals include Rudrankksh Patil in men’s 10m air rifle; Suchika Tariyal in women’s traditional MMA -60kg; the women’s and men’s skeet teams; Jay Meena in men’s soft tennis; the men’s badminton team; Satnam Singh and Salman Khan in men’s double sculls; Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal in mixed skeet; Seema Kumari in women’s 10,000m; Manush Shah and Diya Chitale in mixed doubles table tennis; Manpreet Kaur in women’s shot put; Baranica Elangovan in women’s pole vault; Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar in squash mixed doubles; Prachi Chaudhary in women’s 400m; and the three new athletics bronzes won by Parul Chaudhary, Tejaswin Shankar and Harita Bhadra.

Boxing adds three assured medals

India’s medal count could rise further. Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal all reached their respective semifinals on September 27, assuring India three additional boxing medals. Those medals are not included in the 37-medal tally until officially awarded under the competition results.

The Asian Games campaign is therefore developing across disciplines rather than around a single sporting powerhouse. Shooting and athletics have supplied a substantial share of the medals, kabaddi has delivered both available golds, while squash has produced two singles finalists.

For Harita Bhadra, however, the significance is more specific. Her 23.20-second run has put an Indian woman back on the Asian Games 200m podium after eight years.

The medal may be bronze, but the sprinting message from Nagoya is clear: India’s athletics campaign is producing podium finishes across distance running, jumps, combined events and now the women’s 200m.

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