Reliance Foundation Athletes Shine With Five-Medal Haul At Asian Athletics Championships 2025
Last Updated:
Gulveer Singh scripts double gold; Jyothi Yarraji defends title in record-breaking performance
In a historic run by Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 held in Gumi, Republic of Korea, athletes supported by Reliance Foundation delivered their best-ever performance, claiming a total of five medals — three golds, one silver, and one bronze — contributing significantly to India's second-place finish overall with 24 medals – the country's best-ever showing at the Championships.
Hailing the performance of all the participating athletes, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, 'We had 10 of our athletes participating in the competition and Gulveer really stole the show with his double gold (5000m & 10000m). Jyothi also did amazingly well in the hurdles in extremely difficult conditions, kept her composure and defended her title. In the women's long jump, Ancy Sojan kept her cool by being a brilliant competitor and winning the silver medal with a mature performance. Animesh's bronze medal reflects the investment we have made in sprints and this is the third time this year that he broke the national record, so it was a great performance from him."
'Overall, it was a massive effort from all our athletes out there and it's heartening to see us win medals across all centres in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Odisha in sprint, hurdles, jumps and long distance," he added.
Leading the charge was long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, who scripted history by clinching double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, including a new championship record of 13:24.77s in the 5000m. Gulveer became the first Indian athlete since 2017 to win both events in the same edition of the Championships.
Meanwhile, Jyothi Yarraji, India's ace hurdler and reigning Asian champion, defended her title in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 12.96s, breaking the championship record under challenging weather conditions.
Ecstatic after his achievement in the Championships, Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre athlete Animesh Kujur quoted, 'I'm really proud of winning the bronze medal in my first ever major international championship. At the start line, I was in a good mental space and felt confident in my abilities. I kept composure throughout the final race and was pleased to see myself break the national record once again. I think this is just a start and I want to reach greater heights in the near future."
With this five-medal haul, Reliance Foundation athletes not only broke records (two championship records and one national record) but also underlined the Foundation's commitment to nurturing Olympic-level talent through access to world-class facilities across India. The performance in Gumi stands as a proud milestone in the Foundation's journey of empowering young Indian athletes to excel on the global stage.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Is Imane Khelif male or female? It's a little more complicated
Imane Khelif (Image credit: Instagram) Let's talk about Imane Khelif — Olympic champ, national hero, and, lately, the center of one of the messiest gender debates in sports. She's a powerhouse in the ring, no doubt. But when it comes to how people define her outside the ropes? Well, that's where things get a bit tricky. Imane Khelif's rise is the kind of underdog story people love. She grew up in Tiaret, Algeria, and didn't exactly have the easiest road to success. But that didn't stop her. She punched her way to the top, snagging silver at the 2022 World Championship and gold at the African Championship that same year. Fast forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and boom — gold medal in the women's 66kg boxing category. First Algerian woman to ever do it. That win? Huge. When she got home, it was straight-up movie stuff. Cheering crowds, people waving flags, her riding on top of a city bus like a national treasure. Algeria was proud — and they had every reason to be. But just as her star was rising, the noise around her gender identity started to get loud. Really loud. Back in 2023, at the World Championships in New Delhi, things took a turn. The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified Khelif, saying she didn't meet their gender eligibility rules. Why? They claimed she had XY chromosomes — which, biologically, are usually associated with males. Social media exploded. People had questions, opinions, and let's be honest — a lot of judgments. But then the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stepped in, looked at the same case, and said: 'She's good to go.' Their stance was clear — Khelif was born female, lives as a woman, and holds a female passport. For the IOC, that was enough. They even accused the IBA of botching the whole thing and maybe spreading misinformation. Still, the story wouldn't die. In 2025, things got even more complicated. Leaked medical documents suggested that, yes, Khelif might have XY chromosomes after all. That reignited the whole debate — not just about her, but about sports in general. What makes someone eligible to compete as a woman? Is it your chromosomes? Hormones? Lived experience? Gender identity? That's when the World Boxing Federation (which will be running the show at the 2028 LA Olympics) decided, 'Alright, everyone's getting genetically tested from now on.' That includes Khelif. She'll have to go through it all over again if she wants to keep boxing at the top level. Through all of it, Khelif hasn't backed down She filed criminal complaints in France against people and outlets spreading what she called lies about her. The whole situation has been emotionally exhausting for her. She's spoken out about how damaging and cruel the whole ordeal has been — not just to her, but to other athletes who find themselves caught in similar crossfires. She's not just fighting for medals anymore. She's fighting for her identity. So, what's the truth? Honestly? It depends on who you ask. If you're going strictly by biology, and those documents are accurate, then yes — she might have XY chromosomes. But gender is more than just chromosomes. It's how you live, how you see yourself, and how society treats you. And by all those standards, Khelif is a woman. But sports don't always handle that complexity well. They want clear lines, clear rules. The problem is — people aren't always so clear-cut. Some say that allowing someone with male chromosomes to compete in women's boxing is unfair, that it creates a physical advantage. Others argue that identity and lived experience matter just as much, if not more, and that we need more inclusive rules that reflect today's understanding of gender. Imane Khelif's story isn't just about one woman in the ring. It's about the entire system of how we define gender in sports — and who gets to draw those lines. She's forced the world to reckon with tough questions. What does 'fair' even mean in a sport like boxing? Who gets to decide which bodies are allowed where? And is it possible to make space for both fairness and inclusion? There's no easy answer. But there's one thing we can say for sure: Khelif isn't just fighting opponents anymore. She's fighting a system, a culture, and a moment in time that still doesn't quite know how to deal with athletes like her. So, is Imane Khelif male or female? Biologically, she might have traits typically associated with males. But socially, legally, and personally — she's a woman. And she's made that clear over and over again. In the world of boxing, where everything comes down to weight classes, timing, and strength, gender isn't supposed to be this complicated. But Khelif's story proves that it is. And until sports find a better way to handle that complexity, stories like hers will keep grabbing headlines — and maybe, changing minds. Regardless of where you stand, one thing's for sure: Imane Khelif is a fighter, through and through. And her biggest fight might just be outside the ring.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gukesh Dommaraju brings down Magnus Carlsen in Norway Chess, but post-match drama steals the show
It was a special Sunday in Stavanger. D Gukesh, the 19-year-old World Champion from India, pulled off a shock win over five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025. But what followed made even more noise than the result. From Carlsen's emotional reaction to racist trolling online, the aftermath of the game turned out to be as intense as the match itself. Gukesh's victory was no ordinary one. He was on the back foot for most of the match and even admitted, "99 out of 100 times I would lose," but this was the one time it went his way. The win also marked his first classical win over Carlsen and made him the second Indian to beat the Norwegian in Norway Chess after Praggnanandhaa. What made the moment even bigger was how it unfolded. Carlsen, playing in front of his home crowd, had a clear advantage, but a late blunder turned the game. Gukesh held his nerve, stayed calm and punished the error to seal a memorable win. Gukesh beats Carlsen, but anger and racist trolls steal the spotlight The loss didn't sit well with Carlsen. The Norwegian grandmaster banged the table hard after the match ended, sending pieces falling to the floor. Though he shook Gukesh's hand and gave him a pat on the back, the frustration was visible. The moment was caught on video and posted by Norway Chess on X and TikTok. It quickly went viral. Sadly, what also followed were racist comments against Gukesh. Remarks like "Magnus was distracted by the curry scent" flooded the TikTok post, sparking widespread anger. Many users questioned why Norway Chess hadn't moderated the platform properly. This is exactly what I've been trying to explain to my fellow Indians who think I am overreacting. I've seen the amount of racism Gukesh faces from people outside India. Here is one from the official Norway Chess TikTok account which has been liked by thousands of people. While trolls tried to drag Gukesh down, the chess world stood with him. Even Gukesh's grandfather spoke up calmly, saying Carlsen's outburst was "natural" and the teenager's win meant he now had "no pressure on him." Gukesh, showing maturity beyond his years, didn't let the noise get to him. "I have also banged a lot of tables in my career," he said, understanding how tough the loss was for Carlsen. A loss has triggered the whole racist cvnts of the fun point is he can't even spell 'Scent' correctly 😂😂😭😭🤣🤣.Go Gukesh Go💪 His coach, Vishnu Prasanna, praised his resilience, saying, "He was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking." Gukesh had lost to Carlsen in Round 1, so this was also a brilliant comeback. After the win, he was seen giving coach Grzegorz Gajewski a powerful fist bump, still trying to digest what had just happened. Anand Mahindra calls Magnus Carlsen's meltdown a 'tantrum' Even Anand Mahindra couldn't hold back. The Indian billionaire posted on X about the emotional contrast between the two players. "Carlsen's visible frustration at the end wasn't just a tantrum — it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT," he wrote. He added that Gukesh's silence after the win said more than any celebration ever could. Carlsen's visible frustration at the end wasn't just a tantrum — it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT No fist pump. No smirk. Gukesh didn't need one. His silence roared louder than Carlsen's exit.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Carlsen had come into this round leading the tournament with 9.5 points. After the loss, he still stays joint top with Fabiano Caruana, but Gukesh has now moved up to third with 8.5. The fight for the title is wide open, and after this result, it feels like anything can happen in the final rounds. Carlsen had beaten Gukesh in Round 1 and even posted "You come at the king, you best not miss." But the teenager didn't miss this time. He took the king's crown off, calmly, quietly, and with a touch of class.
India.com
18 minutes ago
- India.com
Pakistan team set to tour India? ICC make major announcement, check dates and venues...
In these collection of pictures, we find out about the major announced made by the ICC involving India and Pakistan cricket teams. ICC announced the venues for Women's ODI World Cup 2025 set to take place from September 30 to November 2. Pakistan women cricket team have qualified for ODI World Cup 2025 through the qualification tournament held in Pakistan earlier this year. India and BCCI are the hosts of of ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 which will take place later this year. Pakistan team are unlikely to travel to India for ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025. ICC have decided to organise the tournament with a hybrid model. ICC have have decided that India and Pakistan don't have to travel to each other's country after the ICC men's Champions Trophy 2025 was organised with a 'hybrid' model. Pakistan's matches are set to take place in Colombo in Sri Lanka. There is provision for semifinal and final to also take place in Sri Lanka if Pakistan women's cricket team qualify. India will host the remaining tournament across four Indian cities - M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru), ACA Stadium (Guwahati), Holkar Stadium (Indore) and ACA-VDCA Stadium (Visakhapatnam). India women cricket team will play opening match of ODI World Cup 2025 in Bengaluru on September 30. Australia are the defending champions of the Women's World Cup. They have won the title in seven out of the 12 editions held so far.
