India’s men’s 800m has produced memorable moments at the Asian Games in recent years, and the country will once again enter the event with strong medal hopes when the 2026 athletics edition gets underway in Japan.
Mohammed Afsal and Krishan Kumar will carry India’s challenge in the two-lap race, with both athletes having already secured the Asian Games qualification mark and possessing the experience to compete at the highest level.
Former Asian Games champion Manjit Singh, who created history by winning the 800m gold at the 2018 Asian Games, believes India has genuine medal-winning possibilities in Japan.
In an exclusive conversation with MyKhel, Manjit backed Afsal as a strong gold-medal contender while also stressing that Krishan should not be underestimated.
“There is no doubt that Afsal is a strong candidate for the gold medal at the Asian Games,” Manjit said.
Afsal enters the Asian Games with a major achievement already under his belt. Last year, he broke Jinson Johnson’s national record of 1:45.65 at the UAE Grand Prix, clocking 1:45.61. Just days later, he lowered the mark again to 1:44.93, becoming the first Indian athlete to break the 1:45 barrier in the men’s 800m.
The Kerala runner also won silver at the previous Asian Games with a timing of 1:48.43, and Japan will mark his second appearance at the continental showpiece.
Manjit believes Afsal’s ability to run close to the 1:45 mark could put him in a strong position in Japan.
“The level in Asia is not very high, with the best timings around 1:45. If he runs 1:45.05, I believe he can definitely win the gold,” he said.
Afsal has also produced a consistent campaign in 2026. He opened his season with a victory in the 800m at the National Indoors in Bhubaneswar, clocking 1:47.46. He later won the 800m at the Saudi Athletics Grand Prix in Riyadh in 1:48.24.
Although he recorded a DNF at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, Afsal bounced back strongly at the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. He won gold and breached the Asian Games qualification mark with a time of 1:48.57.
His most recent competition brought another encouraging performance. Afsal won the men’s 800m at the Indian Athletics Series Final in New Delhi and registered his season-best time of 1:46.40.
With a personal best of 1:44.93 and the experience of an Asian Games silver medal, Afsal will head to Japan with considerable expectations around him.
While Afsal has grabbed much of the attention because of his national record, Krishan Kumar has quietly put together an important season of his own.
The Asian Championships silver medallist started 2026 with a victory at the Indian Athletics Series-1 in Bengaluru in 1:48.88. He then won the Federation Cup in Ranchi with 1:47.68.
At the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, Krishan finished second in 1:48.82 and also secured the Asian Games qualification mark.
He subsequently improved his season best to 1:46.73, finishing third at the Indian Athletics Series Final in New Delhi. His personal best remains 1:45.88, recorded at the Asian Championships 2023 in Bangkok, where he won silver.
Krishan also finished second in Race B of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting in Bhubaneswar with 1:47.69.
For Manjit, the presence of two experienced Indian runners makes the 800m particularly interesting.
“At the same time, we cannot take Krishan Kumar lightly. Conditions and weather can make a big difference, and the conditions in Japan should be similar, so both Afsal and Krishan Kumar could benefit from that,” he said.
Manjit shares a particularly strong connection with the two athletes.
“Both of them have been my juniors, and they have good international experience. Afsal has already run 1:44, so I have high hopes for both of them,” he added.
India has won three medals in the men’s 800m across the last two editions of the Asian Games, Manjit Singh’s gold and Jinson Johnson’s silver in 2018, followed by Afsal’s silver in 2023.
Manjit knows exactly what it takes to win the Asian Games 800m. At the 2018 edition, he produced one of the biggest moments of his career by winning gold in 1:46.15. Jinson Johnson finished second in 1:46.35, while Qatar’s Abubaker Abdalla took bronze in 1:46.38.
Manjit’s victory ended India’s long wait for an Asian Games men’s 800m gold medal. Before him, Charles Borromeo had won the event for India in 1982 with a timing of 1:46.81.
Eight years after Manjit’s triumph, Afsal and Krishan will attempt to extend India’s strong recent record in the event.
India’s medal ambitions in Japan will not be limited to the 800m.
The men’s 1500m has also produced medals for India at the last two Asian Games. Jinson Johnson won gold in 2018, while Ajay Kumar Saroj took silver and Jinson claimed bronze in 2023.
This time, Asian Championships 2025 bronze medallist Yoonus Shah and India’s long-distance star Gulveer Singh will line up for India in the 1500m.
Yoonus currently sits sixth in the 2026 Asian rankings, while Gulveer is 12th.
Yoonus has enjoyed a particularly impressive season. At the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, he clocked a personal best of 3:37.55 in the 1500m and won the final in 3:38.31, defeating Gulveer in the process.
His performance also saw him go inside the Asian Games qualification mark of 3:42.80. Yoonus additionally broke the long-standing meet record of 3:40.10, set by Bahadur Prasad in 1995 in Chennai.
In his latest competition, Yoonus finished second at the Indian Athletics Series Final in New Delhi with 3:40.57.
Gulveer, meanwhile, has spent most of his recent career concentrating on the 5000m and 10,000m. He has competed in only three 1500m races over the past two years, but his exceptional endurance could become an important factor depending on how the race develops.
Gulveer also arrives in Japan after winning two medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, although those came in the 5000m and 10,000m.
According to Manjit, the 1500m could be a very different proposition from the 800m because the eventual outcome may depend heavily on the pace and tactical nature of the race.
“The 1500m will actually depend a lot on how the race unfolds,” Manjit explained.
“If the race is slow, meaning it is more about racing for medals rather than chasing a fast time, Gulveer’s chances could be slightly lower because he is primarily a long-distance runner. When it comes down to speed over the final 200-300 metres, Gulveer may not have the same advantage.”
However, Manjit believes the equation could change if the race develops at a faster pace.
“If the race is fast, it could favour Gulveer more because his endurance is very strong,” he said.
Manjit also highlighted Yoonus’ finishing ability.
“There is no doubt that Yoonus is also a very good talent, and he has good speed, especially over the final 200-300 metres. So, for Gulveer, I would say it is a 50-50 race.”
With Afsal and Krishan in the 800m and Yoonus and Gulveer in the 1500m, India will have multiple medal possibilities in the middle-distance events in Japan.
For Afsal, the challenge is to convert his record-breaking speed into Asian Games gold. For Krishan, it is an opportunity to prove that he can stand alongside India’s leading 800m runner. And in the 1500m, Yoonus’ finishing speed and Gulveer’s endurance could create an intriguing tactical battle.
Manjit, meanwhile, will be watching two of his former juniors in the 800m and two different profiles in the 1500m, with India’s recent Asian Games history providing plenty of reason for attention around both events.
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