Punjab Newsline | Jogindernagar
Jogindernagar’s long-distance runner Sawan Barwal created history at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by winning the silver medal in the men’s marathon on Saturday, bringing glory to India and ending a 44-year wait for a medal in the event.
Barwal completed the 42.195-kilometre race in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 36 seconds, improving his own national record in the process. The achievement marks a major milestone for Indian athletics, as it is the country’s first medal in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games since the 1982 Delhi Games.
Earlier this year, Barwal had broken a 48-year-old national record at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, clocking 2:11:58 to surpass the previous mark of 2:12:00 set by Shivnath Singh in 1978. With his latest performance in Japan, he further lowered the national benchmark.
The Himachal Pradesh athlete remained among the leading runners throughout the race. He was placed second at the halfway mark of 21 kilometres and stayed in medal contention until the final stages. Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita eventually pulled ahead to claim the gold medal, while China’s Feng Peiyu secured bronze. Barwal maintained his pace in the closing stretch to seal the silver medal.
With this feat, Barwal became only the fourth Indian runner to win a marathon medal in the history of the Asian Games. His performance has been widely celebrated in his hometown of Jogindernagar and across Mandi district.
Expressing pride in his former trainee’s achievement, Barwal’s first coach, Gopal Thakur, hailed the silver medal as a historic moment for Indian athletics and a source of inspiration for young athletes across Himachal Pradesh.
