India moved into the top ten of the Asian Games medal table on Tuesday after Neeru Dhanda and the women’s 4×400m relay team captured gold medals, pushing the country’s total past 50 medals.
The day began with Dhanda delivering a landmark performance in difficult weather. Despite persistent rain and low temperatures, the 28‑year‑old shooter maintained composure, finished the final with a score of 28, and set a new Asian Games record. Her victory marked India’s first individual shooting gold at the Games.
Later in the evening, the women’s 4×400m relay quartet—Kiran, Prachi Choudhary, M.R. Poovamma and Vithya Ramraj—clocked 3:29.69 to win the event. Poovamma, 36, added a third gold to her impressive Asian Games resume, having also won relay golds in 2014 and 2018. Ramraj, who had earlier secured bronze in the 400m hurdles, also broke the national record previously held by P.T. Usha.
India’s overall tally rose to 52 medals—six gold, 21 silver and 25 bronze—placing the nation 10th in the standings. The athletics programme delivered mixed results: Pooja Singh earned bronze in the high‑jump, Gulveer Singh added bronze in the men’s 5,000m, and the men’s and women’s 4×100m and 4×400m relay teams claimed bronze medals. In boxing, Ankush Panghal reached the men’s 80kg final, while Parveen Hooda advanced to the women’s 65kg final, and Narender Berwal secured bronze in the +90kg category. The men’s volleyball team staged a dramatic comeback against Qatar, earning a spot in the quarter‑finals after a marathon match that lasted nearly three hours.
