Gulveer Singh created Asian Games history for India after claiming a bronze medal in the men’s 5000m event at the Asian Games 2026. He became the first Indian male athlete to win three individual medals at a single Asian Games.
Although Nursultan Keneshbekov from Kyrgyzstan led all the first four 1000m races, he ultimately finished sixth place despite managing his season-best performance (13:49.07).
Bahrain celebrated the gold medal, as Birhanu Balew won his second Asian Games 2026 gold medal and fourth Asian Games gold medal after completing the race in 13:30.79 minutes. Japanese Tomonori Yamaguchi (13:31.43) claimed the silver medal, while Indian Gulveer Singh clinched the bronze medal after reaching the final mark in 13:32.75 minutes.
Seventh-placed Maxim Frolowskij from Kazakhstan (14:00.60), the ninth-placed Mukesh Pal from Nepal (14:03.61), and the 11th-placed Sonny Wagdos from the Philippines (14:29.42) produced their personal best finishes, while the 12th-placed Abdullah Al Haswali from Yemen (14:29.57) recorded his season-best finish. Indian star Avinash Sable didn’t start the event.
Earlier, at the Asian Games 2026, Gulveer Singh secured silver medals in the men’s 10,000m (28:29.38) and men’s 1500m events (3:36.72). The men’s 1500m event even experienced his season-best performance. With the latest bronze medal, Gulveer became the first Indian male athlete to claim three medals at a single Asian Games.
Gulveer Singh: Three Medals at Asian Games 2026
25 September: Men’s 10,000m — Silver Medal
28 September: Men’s 1500m — Silver Medal
29 September: Men’s 5000m — Bronze Medal
Asian Games 2026: Men’s 5000m — Final Scores
Rank | Name (Nationality) | Result | GAP | Note |
Gold | Birhanu Balew (Bahrain) | 13:30.79 | ||
Silver | Tomonori Yamaguchi (Japan) | 13:31.43 | +0.64 | |
Bronze | Gulveer Singh (India) | 13:32.75 | +1.96 | |
4 | Nagiya Mori (Japan) | 13:35.55 | +4.76 | |
5 | Yacine Guermali (Philippines) | 13:44.61 | +13.82 | |
6 | Nursultan Keneshbekov (Kyrgyzstan) | 13:49.07 | +18.28 | Season Best |
7 | Maxim Frolowskij (Kazakhstan) | 14:00.60 | +29.81 | Personal Best |
8 | Abdikani Hamid (Bahrain) | 14:02.19 | +31.40 | |
9 | Mukesh Pal (Nepal) | 14:03.61 | +32.82 | Personal Best |
10 | Park Jae-woo (Republic of Korea) | 14:09.69 | +38.90 | |
11 | Sonny Wagdos (Philippines) | 14:29.42 | +58.63 | Personal Best |
12 | Abdullah Al Haswali (Yemen) | 14:29.57 | +58.78 | Season Best |
13 | Gansukh Bat-Erdene (Mongolia) | 14:45.74 | +1:14.95 | |
14 | Gawa Zangpo (Bhutan) | 14:48.43 | +1:17.64 | |
15 | Bat-Ochir Ser-Od (Mongolia) | 14:53.41 | +1:22.62 | |
16 | Sangay (Bhutan) | 15:16.14 | +1:45.35 | |
17 | Terence Lai (Cambodia) | 15:19.19 | +1:48.40 | |
18 | Ahmed Wridat (Palestine) | 15:55.28 | +2:24.49 | |
— | Avinash Sable (India) | Did Not Start |
Who is Gulveer Singh?
Apart from the historic three Asian Games 2026 medals, Gulveer Singh won a bronze medal in the men’s 10,000m event at the Asian Games 2022, as he now has four Asian Games medals. In 2025, he won two gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships (10,000m and 5000m). He also claimed a silver in the men’s 10,000m event and a bronze in the men’s 5000m event at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Gulveer Singh is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.