PM Modi Hails India’s Mixed Relay Team Silver in Asian Games (Img: IANS)
Nagoya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised India’s mixed 4x400m relay team for their “exceptional performance” as the quartet secured the silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
The Indian team comprising Machettira Poovamma Raju, Vishal Thennarasu, Vithya Ramraj and Thekkinalil Manu clocked 3:14.46 to finish second in a closely contested final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
“An exceptional performance by our Mixed 4x400m Relay team! Congratulations to Manu TS, Poovamma MR, Vishal TK and Vithya Ramraj on winning the Silver medal at the Asian Games. Their speed, coordination and determination made for an exciting race and a proud moment for Indian athletics. May they continue to scale greater heights,” PMO posted on X.
Bahrain claimed the gold medal with a Games record time of 3:12.87, while Vietnam narrowly missed out on silver after finishing in 3:14.54. Japan came fourth with a time of 3:15.52.
India finished just 0.08 seconds ahead of Vietnam, with the quartet holding its nerve during a closely fought battle for the podium.
The silver continued India’s strong record in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Games. India won gold in the event at Jakarta 2018 before taking silver at Hangzhou 2023.
Vishal had earlier won gold in the mixed 4x400m relay and silver in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. He also finished fourth in the individual 400m event.
Vithya, another important member of India’s relay programme, has represented the country at the Olympic Games, including in the 4x400m relay at Paris 2024. She won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2022 Asian Games and bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2023 Asian Games.
With the latest silver in Nagoya, India have now won medals in the mixed 4x400m relay at three consecutive editions of the Asian Games, underlining the event’s consistent success on the continental stage.
