Ankita Dhyani, Jishnu Prasad break meet records as National Open Athletics ends in Delhi
Representative image: RemazteredStudio / Pixabay
Ankita Dhyani won the 3,000m steeplechase in a meet record 9:34.86 and Jishnu Prasad the 200m in 20.62s on 11 October 2026, the National Open's final day.
What Happened
Two meet records fell on the final day of the 65th National Open Athletics Championships at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, 11 October 2026. Ankita Dhyani, running for Railways, won the women's 3,000m steeplechase in 9 minutes 34.86 seconds, breaking the meet record of 9:39.83 set by Lalita Babar in Kolkata in 2015. In the men's 200m, Jishnu Prasad of All India Police won in 20.62 seconds, 0.04 seconds faster than the previous meet record of 20.66 set by B Nitin in Bengaluru in 2024.
Key Facts
- Event: 65th National Open Athletics Championships, New Delhi; the meet ended on 11 October 2026.
- Women's 3,000m steeplechase: Ankita Dhyani (Railways), 9:34.86, a new meet record.
- The old steeplechase meet record, 9:39.83, had stood since 2015.
- Silver went to Mori Vandana Bharat of Gujarat in 10:00.02 and bronze to Komal Jagdale of Railways in 10:05.34.
- Men's 200m: Jishnu Prasad (All India Police), 20.62 seconds, a new meet record.
- Abhin Devadiga (Railway) took 200m silver in 20.91 and Adesh Garsa (Rajasthan) bronze in 20.96.
- The national record in the women's steeplechase, 9:08.67, is held by Parul Chaudhary and was not threatened.
Why It Matters
The National Open brings together athletes from the railways, police, public-sector and state teams. Performances here help selectors judge who is in form and give younger athletes a chance to measure themselves against established names.
Ankita Dhyani's run stands out because it erased a mark that had lasted more than a decade. She finished more than 25 seconds ahead of the silver medallist, a sign that she is now clear of the domestic field and needs international races to be pushed further. The gap between her time and the national record of 9:08.67, though, shows how much ground remains before she can challenge India's best in the event.
Jishnu Prasad's 200m win was closer. His margin over Abhin Devadiga was 0.29 seconds, and the record improvement was just 0.04 seconds. Sprint records are usually broken by small margins, and his win shows that times in the event are edging down at domestic level.
The meet also produced other strong performances earlier in the week, including Mubassina Mohammed's 6.38m to win the women's long jump on day three, narrowly ahead of Shaili Singh, and Baranica Elangovan's 4.10m pole vault win.
| Event | Winner | Time | Old meet record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 3,000m steeplechase | Ankita Dhyani (Railways) | 9:34.86 | 9:39.83 (2015) |
| Men's 200m | Jishnu Prasad (All India Police) | 20.62s | 20.66s (2024) |
Impact
Short-term: Both winners will be in contention for national camps and selection for international competitions in the coming season.
Long-term: If Ankita Dhyani keeps improving, she could give India more depth in the women's steeplechase.
Who is affected: The athletes themselves; national selectors and coaches planning for the next international season; and young runners for whom domestic meet records are a target.
Key Takeaway
Ankita Dhyani's 9:34.86 steeplechase and Jishnu Prasad's 20.62s 200m broke meet records as the 2026 National Open Athletics Championships closed in Delhi.
Questions and Answers
What record did Ankita Dhyani break?
She won the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2026 National Open Athletics Championships in 9:34.86, beating the meet record of 9:39.83 set by Lalita Babar in 2015.
Is Ankita Dhyani's time a national record?
No. The national record in the women's 3,000m steeplechase is 9:08.67, held by Parul Chaudhary.
Who won the men's 200m at the National Open 2026?
Jishnu Prasad of All India Police won in 20.62 seconds, a meet record, ahead of Abhin Devadiga and Adesh Garsa.
Where and when was the meet held?
At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, ending on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
