India emerged as the overall champions at the 4th South Asian Junior Athletics Championship, held from September 11 to 13, 2024, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai.
The Indian team secured 48 medals in total, including 21 gold, 22 silver, and 5 bronze. Sri Lanka, putting up a fierce competition, finished second with 9 gold, 9 silver, and 17 bronze medals, for a total of 35 medals. Bangladesh came third, with three bronze medals.
Sri Lanka Triumphs in Men’s 4x100m Relay
Despite India’s dominance, Sri Lanka stunned the home team by winning the gold in the men’s 4x100m relay on the final day of the event. The Sri Lankan team, anchored by W. Merone Julian, the 100m dash champion, set a new meet record with a time of 40.28 seconds, breaking the previous record of 41.27 seconds set in 2007.
The Indian team had to settle for the silver medal, clocking 40.76 seconds, while the Maldives finished third with 41.98 seconds.
Indian Women Set New Record in 4x100m Relay
In the women’s 4x100m relay, the Indian team dominated, setting a new meet record of 45.08 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 46.23 seconds. Sri Lanka claimed the silver medal, while the Maldives took bronze.
Notable Performances at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship
- In the women’s 200m, India’s Unnathi Aiyappa set a new meet record with a time of 23.91 seconds, followed by her teammates Nancy (24.11 seconds) and Neeru Pahtak (24.91 seconds).
- India’s Deepika broke the meet record in the javelin with a throw of 54.98m, surpassing the previous record of 48.08m.
- In the men’s 200m, R. Indusara Vindushan of Sri Lanka set a new meet record, clocking 21.33 seconds, followed by India’s Pratik Maharana (21.41 seconds).
In the men’s 1500m, Priyanshu of India clinched gold with 3:53.22 seconds, while his teammate Rahul Sarnaliya followed closely with 3:53.64 seconds.
Sri Lanka’s Success in Relays
Sri Lanka’s success extended to the men’s 4x400m relay, where they set a new meet record with a time of 3:09.27 seconds, beating India, who finished in 3:11.14 seconds. Bangladesh secured the bronze medal with a time of 3:21.50 seconds.
In the women’s 4x400m relay, India claimed gold once again with a time of 3:44.35 seconds, while Sri Lanka finished second with 3:49.99 seconds. Bangladesh rounded out the podium, finishing in 3:57.37 seconds.
Medal Tally Overview of South Asian Junior Athletics Championship
All seven countries of the South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) participated in the championship. India had the largest contingent of 62 athletes, followed by Sri Lanka with 54 athletes. The final medal standings are as follows:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total Medals |
| India | 21 | 22 | 5 | 48 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 | 9 | 17 | 35 |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Maldives | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Nepal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bhutan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
India’s dominance in middle-distance races and throwing events, along with Sri Lanka’s excellence in sprints, provided thrilling competition throughout the championship. The performances reflect the growing talent and potential in junior athletics across South Asia.
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India emerged as the overall champions, winning a total of 48 medals, including 21 gold, 22 silver, and 5 bronze.
Sri Lanka finished second, with 9 gold, 9 silver, and 17 bronze medals, making a total of 35 medals.
All seven countries of the South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) participated. These include India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The championship took place from September 11 to 13, 2024, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lanka won the men’s 4x100m relay gold medal, setting a new meet record of 40.28 seconds, breaking the previous record of 41.27 seconds set in 2007.
The Indian women’s team won the 4x100m relay gold medal with a new meet record time of 45.08 seconds, beating the previous record of 46.23 seconds.
Bangladesh finished third in the medal tally, securing three bronze medals.
Notable record-breaking performances include:
Unnathi Aiyappa (India) in the women’s 200m with 23.91 seconds.
R. Indusara Vindushan (Sri Lanka) in the men’s 200m with 21.33 seconds.
Deepika (India) in the women’s javelin throw with 54.98m.
Sri Lankan men’s 4x100m relay team with a time of 40.28 seconds.
Sri Lanka won the men’s 4x400m relay gold medal, setting a new meet record with a time of 3:09.27 seconds.
Both Pakistan and Bhutan failed to win any medals during the event.
