Asian Games 2026: Seema breaks 16-year drought for India in women’s 10,000m with historic bronze
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Asian Games 2026: Seema breaks 16-year drought for India in women’s 10,000m with historic bronze")
Seema Kumari wins bronze in women's 10,000m at Asian Games Photograph: (ANI)
Indian track and field athlete Seema Kumari clinched a landmark bronze medal in the women’s 10,000m final at the Asian Games on Thursday, clocking 32:50.05.
India’s long wait for a medal in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games has ended, as Seema Kumari produced a strong performance in the final on Thursday to win the bronze medal and end a 16-year wait for India in the event. Seema clocked 32:50.05 to finish third in a closely fought race, winning India’s third-ever Asian Games medal in the women’s 10,000m. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi won the gold in 32:39.18, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka claimed silver with a time of 32:41.54.
Yavi and Tanaka battled closely for the gold medal in the final stages, with the Bahraini athlete eventually pulling ahead. Seema, meanwhile, maintained her position and kept the chasing runners behind her to secure the bronze.
Her medal is India’s first in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games since 2010. It is also Indian athletics’ first podium finish at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The race demanded patience and endurance, with the leading runners gradually breaking away from the rest of the field.
Yavi and Tanaka eventually moved clear and turned the closing stages into a battle for gold. While Seema could not match their pace, she had done enough earlier in the race to stay in medal contention.
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She kept pushing until the finish and crossed the line in 32:50.05 to secure a memorable bronze for India.
Women’s 10,000m final results
- Winfred Yavi (Bahrain) - 32:39.18
- Nozomi Tanaka (Japan) - 32:41.54
- Seema Kumari (India) - 32:50.05