Baranica’s historic bronze, Gulveer’s silver spark India’s six-medal haul on Day 7
Baranica Elangovan created a piece of Asian Games history on Friday as she won the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault, giving India its first-ever medal in the event at the continental showpiece in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Xtratime Webdesk:Baranica Elangovan created a piece of Asian Games history on Friday as she won the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault, giving India its first-ever medal in the event at the continental showpiece in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The 29-year-old cleared 4.15m to finish on the podium. Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova also cleared the same height, and the two athletes could not be separated on countback, resulting in a shared bronze medal.
For Baranica, the medal marks a significant moment for Indian athletics. The women’s pole vault has been a relatively new territory for India at the Asian Games, and her podium finish puts the event firmly on the country’s athletics map.
Baranica held her nerve through the competition and produced her best clearance at 4.15m. Although she could not go higher, that mark was enough to secure her a place among the medallists and write her name into the history of Indian athletics.
Her bronze was one of several medals won by India on the day.
India also added a gold medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol, with Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet combining for an Asian Games record score of 484.6. The shooting pair delivered under pressure to put India on top of the podium.
Gulveer Singh continued his impressive run in 2026 by securing silver in the men’s 10,000m, clocking 28:29.38. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew narrowly finished ahead of him in 28:27.51, while Gulveer held on for second place. The medal also marked an upgrade from his bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, giving him back-to-back podium finishes in the event. Earlier this year, he had also made his mark at the Commonwealth Games, winning silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.
There were two more bronze medals in athletics and table tennis. Manpreet Kaur finished third in the women’s shot put, while Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured bronze in mixed doubles table tennis.
But among the day’s results, Baranica’s pole vault bronze stood out as a landmark achievement, opening a new chapter for India in the event at the Asian Games.
