Prachi Choudhary takes 400m bronze at Asian Games, poses with Salwa Naser
Prachi Choudhary won the bronze medal in the women's 400m final at the Asian Games on Saturday, clocking 53.21 seconds. She posed with Olympic silver medallist Salwa Naser after the race.
Bahrain's Salwa Naser won gold in a Games record 49.20 seconds, with Iran's Zahra Zarei Manoujan claiming silver in 52.38 seconds; Prachi's 53.21 was her first individual Asian Games medal. Much of Prachi's previous success has come in relays, including being part of India's silver-medal women's 4x400m team at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and a silver at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha.
Prachi reached the final after finishing third in her heat in 53.46 seconds and advancing as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers. She ran a faster race in the final and held on for bronze, with her biggest push coming in the final 50 metres. "That just comes to me naturally! Whenever I need to achieve something, it feels like God's blessing, or whatever it is. My mind suddenly clicks and says, 'Go, you will get it now.' So I just went for it," she said.
India's other finalist, Kiran Pahal, finished fifth in 53.41 seconds. Prachi had arrived at the Games with a clear target: two medals, one individual and one with the relay team; she reiterated that aim after the final. "Look, this time I came here thinking I would take home two medals. So now I have one in the individual event. Next is the relay, and my goal for the relay is to upgrade the colour of the medal compared to last time. That's my main target for this season," Prachi said after the race.
Prachi credited a pre-race conversation with Athletics Federation of India president Lalit Bhanot for boosting her confidence. "I will do it. And today, what happened, the chief of our federation called me and held a meeting. He motivated me a lot. His name is Lalit Bhanot Sir. I want to thank him deeply for motivating me so much, and today I showed that right here," she said. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted: "Heartiest congratulations to Prachi Choudhary on winning the Bronze Medal in the Women’s 400m at the Asian Games 2026.#Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/wXXhElJ2ux— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 26, 2026"
An Indian Railways athlete, Prachi has represented India at major international competitions and was part of the women's 4x400m relay team at the Paris Olympics. She stated a specific Olympic aim for herself: "I participated in the Paris Olympics in the relay event. Next time, my goal is to qualify for the individual event as well as be a member of the relay team," she said. Her personal best in the 400m is 52.40 seconds, set in 2023.
Prachi has been included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme from September 2026 and received preparation support ahead of the Asian Games, including assistance towards training at the National Coaching Camp, Rs 25,000 under TOPS and Rs 4,65,678 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC). The bronze is her first individual Asian Games medal and the next confirmed event for her is the women's 4x400m relay, where India will attempt to improve on the silver won in Hangzhou.
