Asian Games 2026: Gulveer secures a silver; Baranica makes history; bronze for Manpreet

It needs a touch of magic to share the spotlight with Gulveer Singh’s incredible consistency. On Friday (September 25, 2026), Baranica Elangovan managed to do so, soaring high and leaping into history as the first-ever Indian to win an Asian Games medal in pole vault.

The 29-year-old cleared a height of 4.15m to take joint bronze with Polina Ivanova of Kazakhstan at the Paloma Mizuho athletics stadium in Nagoya. It was nowhere close to her best, but it was enough to add India’s third medal from track and field on day two of the competition after Manpreet Kaur had finished third in shot put and Gulveer bettered his own performance with a silver in the 10,000m.

Baranica cleared a height of 4.15m to take joint bronze with Ivanova of Kazakhstan. | Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY