Odisha and India sprinter Astik Pradhan won his second medal with a silver in mens 4x400m relay event on the concluding day of the 1st Asian Under-23 Athletics Championship in Ordos, China yesterday. The Indian team, also featuring Sharan Megavarnam, Setu Mishra and Aman Choudhary, finished second with a time of 3:04.24 secs.

China won gold with a time of 3:03.46 secs, while Qatar took home bronze, clocking 3:06.19 secs. A trainee of Odisha-Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre, Bhubaneswar, Astik won his first medal of the Asian U-23 Championship with gold in 4x400m mixed relay event earlier on the opening day.

Odisha Athletics Association (OAA) today announced a cash award of Rs 50,000 for Astik in recognition of his glorious performance in 1st Asian Under-23 Athletics Championship, which was held from July 9 to 12.

OAA chairman Asirbad Behera, President G Srinibasa  Patnaik and secretary Avijit Paul congratulate Astik for winning two medals on his international debut. Sabita Toppo was another Odisha athlete who competed in the Asian Under-23 Athletics Championship. She finished sixth in womens 100m hurdles, clocking 13.73 seconds.

Overall, the Indian squad finished fourth with 16 medals, which comprised three gold, four silver and nine bronze. Host China topped the tally with 52 medals (23 gold, 17 silver, 12 bronze), while Japan secured the second spot with 22 medals (7 gold, 8 silver, 7 bronze). Uzbekistan (5 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze) took the third position with 10 medals.
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PHOTO: Odisha sprinter Astik Pradhan poses with the National flag after winning a medal at the Asian Under-23 Athletics Championship, held in Ordos, China from 9 to 12 July 2026.