Nagoya, Sep 24 (IANS) Ramraj Vithya dedicated India’s silver medal in the 4x400m mixed relay at the 2026 Asian Games to her twin sister, saying she missed her presence this time and was determined to change the colour of her medal after winning three medals at the previous edition.
The Indian quartet of Machettira Poovamma, Vishal Thennarasu, Vithya and Thekkinalil Manu clocked 3:14.46 to finish second behind Bahrain, which won gold in a Games-record 3:12.87. Vietnam narrowly missed out on silver after finishing third in 3:14.54.
Vithya, who had won three medals at the previous Asian Games, said she entered the competition with the aim of improving on her earlier medal tally.
“Last Asian Games, I won three medals, so this Asian Games, I tried to change my medal colour, that’s all,” Vithya told IANS after the race.
The medal also carried a personal significance for Vithya, who dedicated it to her twin sister Nithya Ramraj, who is also an athlete. She took part in the previous edition but failed to qualify for 2026.
“Because at the last Asian Games, my twin sister was with me, so this time I miss her so much, so I dedicated my medal to her,” she said.
Vithya also credited the presence of her coach for helping her stay focused during the race, saying she drew confidence from his instructions rather than being distracted by the competition around her.
“I thank Bhanot sir because at the last Asian Games my coach was not with me. This Asian Games, my coach is with me. He was watching me; he was telling me, ‘You can do it’,” Vithya said.
“He was teaching the strategy there. I was seeing my coach’s face; I was not seeing any competitor, nothing. I just saw my coach, then I got the baton, then I ran the race. I fought it up to the finish line, that’s all,” she said.
Asked about the fall during the race and whether it affected her, Vithya said she simply followed her coach’s instructions and remained focused on completing her leg.
“My coach said, ‘Just run your leg; you get a baton. Just run the race, nothing else.’ So I just fixed my mind: just go through, finish line, so I did my best,” she said.
Vithya also acknowledged the support of the Athletics Federation of India, TOPS, SAI, her state government and Indian Railways.
“First of all, thanks to the Athletics Federation of India, TOPS, SAI, then my state government, then Indian Railways, because they believe in me. I want to give 100 per cent to them also, because they are spending a lot, everything, on us,” she said.
India’s silver extended its impressive record in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Games, with the country winning a medal in the event at three successive editions after gold at Jakarta 2018 and silver at Hangzhou 2023.
–IANS
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