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From Chamba’s hills to Asian Games glory: Seema Kumari brings home historic bronze
A significant breakthrough in her career came in 2015 when she was selected for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Dharamsala
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In Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba, a remote village has found its champion in daughter Seema Kumari, who won a historic bronze medal in the women’s 10,000-metre race at the Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Thursday.
A native of remote Reta village in Churah area of Chamba district, Seema ran her way to the bronze medal, clocking 32:50.05. She finished behind gold medal-winner Winfred Yavi of Bahrain and Nozomi Tanaka of Japan, who won silver. Her historic win at the international stage sparked celebrations in her native place.
Seema gave India its first athletics medal at the 2026 Asian Games and ended the country’s 16-year wait for a medal in the women’s 10,000-metre event. India has won a total of three medals in the women’s 10,000 metre event at the Asian Games. The total count includes two historic medals won at the 2010 Asian Games (Preeja Sreedharan’s gold and Kavita Raut’s silver), followed by a 16-year drought that ended when Seema clinched a bronze medal.
Seema had a passion for running since childhood and was resolute in chasing her passion. She lost her father when she was just 12 years old, after which her family depended largely on farming and cattle rearing for survival. Despite limited resources, she remained committed to her training and continued to pursue her sporting ambitions.
Her family was overjoyed after learning about her medal win. Seema’s brother, Raj Kumar, said they were happy and that there was a wave of joy across the village. “Seema has had a passion for running since childhood and started running in Class 5. We do not have very good facilities here. There is a small ground at a school here where she used to run, and then she would run on the road,” he told the media.
“She was good at studies as well. She has been living away from home for around 18 years now, but she has not changed a bit. We are excited; she has made India proud. We are waiting for her return and will welcome her in a grand way,” he said.
A significant breakthrough in her career came in 2015 when she was selected for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Dharamsala. Professional coaching and improved training facilities enabled her to make the transition to the national athletics circuit. The same year, she clinched gold at the Junior National Athletics Championships in Ranchi.
Born on January 10, 2001, Seema went on to establish herself as a promising distance runner, setting junior national records in the 2,000m and 3,000m events, winning national titles and joining the Khelo India programme in 2018. Her international breakthrough came at the Asian Youth Championships in Bangkok, where she won bronze. She later won silver at the 2018 Youth Asian Olympics Qualifying Games and gold in the 10,000m at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who congratulated Seema for her outstanding performance, said that her remarkable achievement was a matter of immense pride for the entire state.
He appreciated her dedication, perseverance and determination, saying that her success reflected the rich sporting talent of Himachal Pradesh. Sukhu said that Seema’s performance would inspire thousands of young boys and girls across the state to pursue their sporting aspirations with confidence.
