Mumbai, September 29: India’s men’s 4x400m relay team won bronze at the Asian Games on Tuesday evening. Dharmveer Chaudhary, Manu TS, Jay Kumar and Vishal TK ran 3:01.61 in the final in Aichi-Nagoya.
Japan took gold in 3:00.75 and Qatar silver in 3:00.93.
The medal came on the same day the women’s 4x400m relay team of Kiran Pahal, Poovamma MR, Prachi and Vithya Ramraj won gold.
‘This medal belongs to all of us’
Manu TS said winning as a group made the bronze special. “The Bronze Medal feels special because we did it as a team, and every one of us gave our best out there today. We have trained hard together for months, and it showed on the track. Inspire Institute of Sport supported me a lot through my training. This medal belongs to all of us,” he said.
For Jay Kumar, it was the dream of running for India coming true. “My dream has always been to represent India, and today, winning this bronze medal feels like that dream coming true. If things aren’t tough, then what’s the fun in it, it should be a little tough, that is what makes it worth it in the end,” he said. “Inspire Institute of Sport has supported me a lot through this journey, and I am thankful for that. This medal means a lot to me and to everyone who has believed in me.”
Vishal TK spoke about the work and the sacrifices behind the result. “I know what it takes to get to numbers like this, it takes hard work, dedication and honesty. I just go out and run my own race, I trust my training and my coach completely,” he said. “None of this happens without sacrifice, from me and from my family too. Inspire Institute of Sport has been a big part of this journey, and today’s medal is the result of everything we have all put in together.”
Rajesh Ramesh
Rajesh Ramesh, who is also named with the relay team, said the medal meant a lot after a difficult road. “This bronze medal means a lot to me, I have been through a lot to get here. There were times I didn’t even have a proper ground to train on. Inspire Institute of Sport gave me a place to train properly, even through an injury, and that support meant everything. This medal is for everyone who stood by me,” he said.
