“Feels good to bring medal for my country”: Parul Chaudhary after second Asian Games 2026 bronze

Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary expressed happiness after securing two medals at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, saying she was pleased with her performance despite facing tough competition.

Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary expressed happiness after securing two medals at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, saying she was pleased with her performance despite facing tough competition. Parul clinched her second bronze medal in three days at the Asian Games 2026, finishing third in the women's 5000m on Monday with a time of 15:14.61.

Parul fought until the finish line to secure the bronze, finishing 1.46 seconds behind Japan's Nozomi Tanaka, who won the silver medal with a time of 15:11.65. Bahrain's Winfred Yavi claimed the gold medal after clocking 15:10.18. Notably, the 5000m bronze came a day after Parul finished third in the women's 3000m steeplechase, where she clocked 9:08.67 to win bronze and set a new national record.

Speaking to ANI after her medal win on Monday, Parul said she was happy with her performance and securing two medals, adding that she was looking forward to returning home and spending time with her family. "It feels really good. Last time in Hangzhou, I also took two medals, but this time the colour has changed; last time the colour was something else. Otherwise, I am happy with this performance because I knew the competition was very tough this time. I just want to go home and spend time with my family, and since I am bringing a medal for my countrymen, it feels really good," she said.

Parul's Aichi-Nagoya campaign began with the women's 1500 m final on September 26, where she finished fourth with a time of 4:09.46. She then secured bronze in the 3000m steeplechase on September 27 before adding another bronze in the 5000m on Monday. With three finals on three consecutive days, Parul returned to the podium in two events and finished fourth in the 1500m.

Her latest bronze adds another medal to India's athletics tally at the Asian Games, with Parul producing a strong finish in a closely contested women's 5000m final. Also, at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Parul Chaudhary won gold in the women’s 5000m and silver in the 3000m steeplechase.

With Parul’s latest bronze, India’s medal tally has risen to 42 medals, comprising four gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze. India is currently placed 12th in the medal standings, with athletics accounting for 16 of the country’s medals at the continental event. (ANI)