Asian Athletics Championships 2025: Rupal, Pooja, Chithravel win silver; Yoonus bags bronze on Day 2 for India in Gumi

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Asian Athletics Championships 2025: The Asian Athletics Championships 2025, held in Gumi, South Korea, witnessed a brilliant display of Indian talent on Day 2, with athletes Rupal Chaudhary, Pooja, Praveen Chithravel, and Yoonush Shah securing medals that brightened the nation's hopes.

The second day of the continental championship kicked off with a spark from 20-year-old Rupal Chaudhary, who stormed down the track in the women's 400m final to claim silver with a personal best of 52.68 seconds.

It wasn't just a medal - it was a statement from the young sprinter who opened India's account for the day with a spirited run. Her compatriot, Vithya Ramraj, came in fifth, clocking 53 seconds.

The middle-distance events brought more delight. In a fiercely contested men's 1500m final, Yoonus Shah displayed grit and strategy. Taking the early lead, Yoonus led the pack for a significant stretch but couldn't hold off a late charge from his rivals, eventually settling for bronze with a time of 3:43.03. It was a commendable effort that showcased his growing maturity on the international circuit.

India's silver streak continued when Pooja powered her way to second place in the women's 1500m, stopping the clock at 4:10.83. Though she fell short of gold, Pooja's aggressive run in the final lap won many hearts. Meanwhile, fellow Indian Lili Das just missed the podium, finishing fourth with 4:13.81.

In the field events, triple jumper Praveen Chithravel leapt into the limelight with a best jump of 16.90m in the third round, earning him a silver medal. China's Zhu Yaming took gold with a jump of 17.06m, while India's defending champion, Abdulla Aboobacker, narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth with 16.72m.

While medals glittered in several disciplines, heartbreak was just around the corner in the men's 400m. Vishal TK, despite a heroic effort and a personal best of 45.57s, missed out on bronze by a mere 0.02s, finishing fourth in what was arguably one of the closest races of the day.

But the day ended on a golden note as India clinched the 4x400m mixed relay gold. The team of Rupal Choudhary, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan, Vishal TK, and Subha Venkatesan put in a dazzling performance, clocking 3:18.12s to finish on top of the podium. The quartet's chemistry and determination brought home a vital win, with Rupal securing her second medal of the day.

Adding to India's medal haul was Tejaswin Shankar, who secured a silver in the decathlon with 7,618 points, becoming the first Indian to win multiple medals in decathlon at the Asian Championships.

As the sun set on Day 2 in Gumi, India's athletes had made a strong impression - with two silvers in middle-distance events, a silver in triple jump, a bronze in the men's 1500m, a mixed relay gold, and a decathlon silver - setting the tone for what promises to be a memorable campaign.