India asserted complete regional supremacy at the 4th South Asian Senior Athletics Championships 2025, storming to the top of the medal table with 20 golds, 19 silvers, and 19 bronzes for a commanding total of 58 medals at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium. The three-day extravaganza from October 24-26 saw the hosts outclass six rivals, with Sri Lanka mounting a strong challenge through 16 golds and 40 overall medals. Nepal secured third place with two silvers and four bronzes, followed by Bangladesh with three bronzes and Maldives with one. Bhutan concluded without a medal, while debutant performances from Nepal’s long-distance runners and Sri Lanka’s throwers hinted at rising competition.

The final day erupted with record-shattering displays across disciplines. In men’s 400m hurdles, India’s Ruchit Mori blazed to gold in a new meet record of 50.10 seconds, leading a 1-3 finish ahead of Sri Lanka’s Kuda Liyanage Ayoma and compatriot Karna Bag. Sri Lanka countered fiercely in women’s hurdles, where K.H. Arachchige Dasun clocked 58.66 seconds for gold and a new benchmark, followed by teammate Aral Loku and India’s Olimba Steffi. The women’s javelin witnessed history as Hatarabage Leka Nadeeka unleashed a monstrous 60.14m throw—eclipsing the 2008 record by nearly 9 meters—with India’s Karishma Sanil and Deepika claiming silver and bronze.

Field events remained India’s stronghold. Damneet Singh launched the men’s hammer 66.99m for gold, backed by Ashish Jakhar’s silver, while Reet Rathore cleared 1.76m in women’s high jump to lead a 1-3 sweep with Supriya in bronze. Mohd Sazid soared 7.68m in men’s long jump for victory, ahead of Sri Lanka’s Unagalla Yeswesmi. Distance and middle-distance saw Amandeep Kaur (2:04.66 in women’s 800m) and Abhishek Pal (30:29.46 in men’s 10,000m) deliver gold, with Nepal’s Rajan Rokaya earning a rare silver.

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Sri Lanka dominated sprints and relays. Mohammad Yamick Fatima sprinted to women’s 200m gold in 23.58s, while their men’s 4x400m team edged India by 0.26 seconds in a thrilling 3:05.12 finish. Pathirage Rumes (84.29m javelin) and D.M. Harsha S. Karuna (1:51.96 in men’s 800m) added further golds. India’s women closed strongly, winning the 4x400m relay in 3:34.70 ahead of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Over 300 athletes competed, with India deploying a 120-member contingent blending Olympic hopefuls and U20 prospects. AFI President Adille Sumariwalla announced ₹50 lakh in cash prizes for record-breakers and confirmed Colombo as the 2027 host. The championships served as a crucial tune-up for Asian Games 2026, with 12 new meet records underlining South Asia’s growing athletic depth.

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