Thekkinalil Manu Saji celebrated his Asian Games debut after helping India win silver in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2026 Asian Games. Ramraj Vithya dedicated the medal to her twin sister Nithya and said her coach’s presence helped her remain focused during a tightly contested final.
Nagoya, Sept 2026 : Thekkinalil Manu Saji described representing India at his first Asian Games as a proud moment after contributing to the country’s silver-medal finish in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2026 Asian Games here on Thursday.
The Indian quartet of Machettira Poovamma, Vishal Thennarasu, Ramraj Vithya and Manu clocked 3:14.46 to finish second behind Bahrain, which set a new Asian Games record of 3:12.87. Vietnam claimed bronze in 3:14.54.
India held off Vietnam by just 0.08 seconds in a closely fought final, with Manu playing an important role in the opening stages. The young quarter-miler said he was pleased with his contribution and credited his teammates for helping the team secure a podium finish.
“I try my best, I give my best to the team, and I am very lucky to have this team. I am so proud to be representing India in the Asian Games. It is my first Asian Games, and I did well,” Manu mentioned after the race.
Reflecting on the responsibility of running the opening leg, Manu said his main objective was to ensure that he handed over the baton in a competitive position.
“I have only one thing: I have to give the baton first. I try for that, and I think I give second or third, but I tried my best,” he said.
The performance marked another important milestone in Manu’s emerging career. He had previously tasted international success in the mixed relay, winning gold at the 2022 Asian U20 Athletics Championships.
For Manu, the silver provided a memorable start to his Asian Games campaign, while India continued its strong record in the mixed 4x400m relay. The country has now won medals in the event at three successive editions, following gold at Jakarta 2018 and silver at Hangzhou 2023.
The medal also had deep personal significance for Ramraj Vithya, who dedicated the silver to her twin sister Nithya Ramraj, an athlete who competed at the previous Asian Games but did not qualify for the 2026 edition.
Vithya, who won three medals at the previous Asian Games, entered the competition determined to improve the colour of her medal this time.
“Last Asian Games, I won three medals, so this Asian Games, I tried to change my medal colour, that’s all,” Vithya told said.
Remembering her twin sister’s presence at the previous Games, Vithya said she missed her during the competition and wanted to dedicate the medal to her.
“Because at the last Asian Games, my twin sister was with me, so this time I miss her so much, so I dedicated my medal to her,” she said.
Vithya also credited her coach, Bhanot, for helping her remain composed and focused during the race. She said that unlike the previous Asian Games, her coach was present this time and his instructions gave her confidence.
“He was teaching the strategy there. I was seeing my coach’s face; I was not seeing any competitor, nothing. I just saw my coach, then I got the baton, then I ran the race,” Vithya said.
She also referred to a fall during the race, saying she concentrated on following her coach’s instructions rather than allowing the incident to affect her performance.
“My coach said, ‘Just run your leg; you get a baton. Just run the race, nothing else.’ So I just fixed my mind: just go through, finish line, so I did my best,” she said.
Vithya acknowledged the support of the Athletics Federation of India, TOPS, the Sports Authority of India, her state government and Indian Railways, saying their backing had contributed to her journey.
India’s silver thus combined a significant debut for Manu with a deeply personal achievement for Vithya, while extending the country’s medal-winning streak in the mixed 4x400m relay to three consecutive Asian Games editions.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
