‘I still can’t believe it’: Prachi Choudhary reflects on Asian Games bronze

Prachi Choudhary said she was still coming to terms with her Asian Games bronze in the women’s 400m. The 29-year-old clocked 53.21 seconds for her maiden individual Asian Games medal after years of success in relay events.

New Delhi: Prachi Choudhary reflected on her Asian Games bronze medal in the women’s 400m race, calling her achievement something she found hard to believe but gave everything for it.

Prachi has tasted success in the team events previously, having won a silver with India’s 4x400m relay team at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and had earlier claimed relay silver at the 2019 Asian Championships as well, but the Asiad bronze marks a significant achievement for the Uttar Pradesh-born sprinter.

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“I still can’t believe it. This is a moment I have worked towards for a long time. I gave everything I had in that race, and to see it turn into an individual medal for the country means so much to me. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” said Prachi.

The 29-year-old took the bronze after clocking a time of 53.21s as Bahrain’s Salwa Naser won gold with a timing of 49.20s and Iran’s Zahra Zarei Manoujan clinched silver with a time of 52.38s.

The athlete reflected on her journey, crediting the consistent support system that has backed her through her training. “This medal is the result of a lot of hard work, not just from me, but from everyone who has stood by me through this journey. Inspire Institute of Sport has supported me throughout my training and preparation, and I want to thank them for standing by me through every step of it. Whatever I have needed, they have always made sure I had it,” she said.

She is an Olympian too, having represented India in the 4x400m relay at the Paris Games and has continued to build her experience on the international stage.

Prachi has already set her focus towards the future as she does not want to stop anytime soon. “This medal means a lot to me, but I don’t want to stop here. I want to keep working hard and keep improving, so that I can achieve even bigger results for the country in the future,” she said.