Indian women’s 4x400m relay team broke their track-and-field gold drought to win the gold at 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya

The Indian women’s 4x400m relay team broke their track-and-field gold drought in spectacular fashion at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, producing a brilliant tactical race to secure the continental title.

The Indian quartet, consisting of Pahal Kiran, Poovamma Raju Machetira, Prachi Choudhary, and Vithya Ramraj, delivered a masterclass in pacing, grit, and baton exchanges at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. Stopping the clock at a swift 3:29.69 minutes, the team not only captured India’s first track gold of the competition but also extended the nation’s proud legacy of dominance in this long-sprint event. Despite the challenging, rain-slicked conditions on the track, the Indian athletes executed their game plan flawlessly to edge out a star-studded international field.

The race unfolded with intense tactical drama as the lead exchanged hands across the early legs. Pahal Kiran got the Indian squad off to a strong start, positioning the team within striking distance of the frontrunners. The veteran Poovamma Raju Machetira ran a powerhouse second leg, eating into the cushion held by the leading Chinese squad. As the baton shifted to Prachi for the third leg, the battle intensified, leaving India closely tailing China as they approached the final exchange.

When anchor runner Vithya Ramraj took custody of the baton, India sat in second place behind China’s Siyu Zuo. Unleashing a magnificent burst of speed, Ramraj closed the gap on the back straight and swept past the Chinese anchor on the final bend. In the final 50 meters, a roaring threat emerged out of lane four as Bahrain’s former world champion Salwa Eid Naser mounted a fierce closing sprint. However, Ramraj dug deep, holding her form under immense pressure to cross the line just half a second clear of the field.

Team Bahrain claimed a hard-fought silver medal following Naser’s late heroics. The lineup of Aisha Abdulla, Sufian Abdulghani, Zainab Mohammed, and Salwa Eid Naser put forward a remarkably balanced performance, finishing in 3:30.21 minutes. Naser’s exceptional anchor split nearly pulled off a stunning comeback, but the Bahraini squad ultimately had to settle for the second step of the podium after a thrilling pursuit.

The early pace-setters, Team China, secured the bronze medal with a time of 3:31.02 minutes. The Chinese team—comprising Yutong Jiang, Yingying Kong, Li Zhou, and Siyu Zuo—demonstrated rapid acceleration out of the blocks and led for a significant portion of the race. Though they faded slightly in the grueling final 150 meters under the pressure of the Indian and Bahraini surges, their robust performance ensured a podium placement for the reigning continental powers.

The host nation, Team Japan, narrowly missed out on a home-soil podium finish, settling for fourth place. The Japanese quartet of Aoi Teramoto, Shizuho Moriyama, Nanako Matsumoto, and Yuzuki Nakao clocked a competitive 3:31.44 minutes. Cheered on by a passionate local crowd despite the damp conditions, the Japanese runners kept the top three teams within their sights throughout the four laps but simply lacked the late-stage gears required to breach the medal positions.

Rounding out the top five was Team Vietnam, crossing the line in 3:32.28 minutes. The group, featuring Hoang Thi Minh Hanh, Thi Lan Quach, Thi Hang Nguyen, and Thi Ngoc Nguyen, fought admirably against the region’s elite programs. Their execution kept them well clear of the remaining field, underscoring the sustained growth and rising competitiveness of Southeast Asian long-sprint disciplines on the grandest continental stage.

The victory carried profound historic weight for the Indian athletics program. By capturing the top spot, the team averted what would have been a rare gold drought in track events for the nation, honoring a legacy that spans over four decades of Asian Games history. The triumph was particularly sweet for Vithya Ramraj, who completed a spectacular individual campaign in Nagoya, walking away with a three-medal haul that included mixed relay silver and a bronze in the 400m hurdles.