Ludhiana: The three-day 21st National Youth Athletics Championship 2026 concluded on Thursday at Guru Nanak Stadium, drawing young athletes from across India to compete in track and field events.Jointly organised by the Punjab Athletics Association and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) from September 1 to 3, the meet aimed to identify and nurture future national and international talent.Sprint and field event resultsTamil Nadu sprinters dominated the premier track events on the final day, with Neil Samraj winning first place in the Under-18 boys’ 100m run and T. Mrithika taking gold in the Under-18 girls’ 100m run.In the Under-18 girls’ discus throw, Haryana’s Oshin claimed top honours, followed by Uttar Pradesh’s Dimpy Saini in second and Haryana’s Mansi Dangi in third.State athletic performancesIn the boys’ 100m sprint, West Bengal’s Mehbubul took second place while Delhi’s Pushpinder Kumar secured third. In the girls’ 100m, Karnataka’s Succhitra S. finished second and Maharashtra’s Saawari Kulkarni finished third.According to the Punjab Athletics Association, the competitive national event serves as a crucial platform for young athletes competing for national honours and future international placement.
