India's Gulveer Singh capped a remarkable Asian Games 2026 campaign on Tuesday, winning bronze in the men's 5000m final to complete a three-medal haul — becoming only the second Indian man to win three track and field medals in a single edition of the continental Games.
The distance runner clocked 13:32.75 to finish third at the Aichi-Nagoya track, behind Bahrain's Birhanu Balew (13:30.79), who took gold, and Japan's Tomonori Yamaguchi (13:31.43), who claimed silver. Fellow Indian Avinash Sable did not start the race.
A historic distance treble
Gulveer's bronze followed silver medals in the 10,000m and 1500m earlier in the Games, underlining his status as one of India's leading distance runners. His three-medal campaign draws him level with a feat that has stood for three-quarters of a century: Lavy Pinto, who won three medals at the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951, was until Tuesday the only Indian man to achieve the mark in a single edition.
Among Indian women, PT Usha remains the most decorated athlete at a single edition, with four gold medals and a silver at the 1986 Seoul Games, while KM Beenamol secured three medals at the 2002 Busan Games.
Part of a golden day for Indian athletics
Gulveer's bronze was one of five athletics medals India won on Tuesday. The women's 4x400m relay quartet of Vithya Ramraj, Kiran, Prachi and Poovamma Machettira claimed India's first athletics gold of the Games with a 3:29.69 timing; Pooja Singh added bronze in the women's high jump (1.84m); the mixed 4x100m relay team secured bronze in a season-best 41.06 seconds; and the men's 4x400m relay team also took bronze, lifting India's overall tally past 50 medals with six golds.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Gulveer and boxer Narender Berwal on their bronze medals, praising their performances and perseverance on the continental stage.
Sources:
- Gulveer Singh Clinches Bronze In 5000m Final, Wins 3rd Asian Games Medal — Times Now
- Asian Games: Prez Murmu hails Narender, Gulveer on bronze medal wins — IANS
The distance runner clocked 13:32.75 to finish third at the Aichi-Nagoya track, behind Bahrain's Birhanu Balew (13:30.79), who took gold, and Japan's Tomonori Yamaguchi (13:31.43), who claimed silver. Fellow Indian Avinash Sable did not start the race.
A historic distance treble
Gulveer's bronze followed silver medals in the 10,000m and 1500m earlier in the Games, underlining his status as one of India's leading distance runners. His three-medal campaign draws him level with a feat that has stood for three-quarters of a century: Lavy Pinto, who won three medals at the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951, was until Tuesday the only Indian man to achieve the mark in a single edition.
Among Indian women, PT Usha remains the most decorated athlete at a single edition, with four gold medals and a silver at the 1986 Seoul Games, while KM Beenamol secured three medals at the 2002 Busan Games.
Part of a golden day for Indian athletics
Gulveer's bronze was one of five athletics medals India won on Tuesday. The women's 4x400m relay quartet of Vithya Ramraj, Kiran, Prachi and Poovamma Machettira claimed India's first athletics gold of the Games with a 3:29.69 timing; Pooja Singh added bronze in the women's high jump (1.84m); the mixed 4x100m relay team secured bronze in a season-best 41.06 seconds; and the men's 4x400m relay team also took bronze, lifting India's overall tally past 50 medals with six golds.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Gulveer and boxer Narender Berwal on their bronze medals, praising their performances and perseverance on the continental stage.
Sources:
- Gulveer Singh Clinches Bronze In 5000m Final, Wins 3rd Asian Games Medal — Times Now
- Asian Games: Prez Murmu hails Narender, Gulveer on bronze medal wins — IANS
