India finally have a medal in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games again. Seema Kumari produced a strong run in the final on Thursday to win bronze and end India’s 16-year wait for a medal in the event.

The Indian athlete clocked 32:50.05 to finish third in a closely fought race. Her result is only India’s third medal in the women’s 10,000m in Asian Games history.

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi took the gold after finishing in 32:39.18, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka won silver with a time of 32:41.54.

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Yavi and Tanaka battle for gold

The race became particularly intense in the final stages as Yavi and Tanaka went head-to-head for the top spot.

The Bahraini runner eventually pulled clear to take gold, with Tanaka settling for silver.

Seema was unable to match the pace of the two leaders, but she had created enough distance from the runners behind her. She stayed composed in the closing stages and crossed the finish line in 32:50.05 to secure the bronze.

Her medal is India’s first in the women’s 10,000m at the Asian Games since 2010. It is also the first athletics medal for India at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

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Women’s 10,000m final results

1. Winfred Yavi (Bahrain) — 32:39.18
2. Nozomi Tanaka (Japan) — 32:41.54
3. Seema Kumari (India) — 32:50.05

Who is Seema Kumari?

Born on January 10, 2001, in Himachal Pradesh, Seema has gradually made a name for herself in India’s long-distance running circuit.

She competes mainly in the 5,000m and 10,000m events and has put together several notable performances over the past few years.

Seema won gold in the senior women’s race at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong. She followed that with a silver medal in the 5,000m at the 2025 FISU World University Games.

Her progress continued in 2026. She won the 10,000m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships.

Seema continues to improve her timings

She also set new personal bests in both the 10,000m and 5,000m this year.

In March, Seema clocked 32:02.43 in the 10,000m at The TEN in California, finishing fifth against a strong international field.

A month later, she produced another personal best in the 5,000m, recording 15:16.20.

Support through Khelo India and TOPS

Seema has been part of the Khelo India programme since July 2018. She also received training support at the National Coaching Camp as part of her preparations for the Asian Games.

Her development has also received financial backing through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).