Indian Long-Distance Star Gulveer Singh Adds Bronze in Nagoya 5000m

Gulveer Singh’s performance at the Asian Games 2026 reached another high point on Tuesday when he secured the bronze medal in the men’s 5000‑metre final held at Nagoya’s Mizuhō Park Athletic Stadium. He clocked 13:32.75, with Bahrain’s Birhanu Balev winning gold (13:30.79) and Japan’s Tomonori Yamaguchi taking silver (13:31.43).

The medal completes a rare hat‑trick for the Indian runner, who already earned silver in both the 10,000‑metre and 1500‑metre events earlier in the competition. No Indian athlete has collected three medals in a single Asian Games edition for the last four decades.

In the 5000‑metre race, Gulveer stayed with the leading group after the first 2,000 metres, briefly moving into third before settling into a consistent pace. He defended his position through the final stages but could not break into the top two.

His 10,000‑metre silver was recorded in 28:29.38, making him the first Indian to win two medals in that distance at the Asian Games. The 1500‑metre silver came with a personal best of 3:36.72.

The Indian contingent also saw Poona Ollla finish seventh in the women’s 800‑metre final, while Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalath placed eighth in the men’s 800‑metre. Japan’s Ko Ochiya won the men’s 800‑metre gold, setting a new Games record.