Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced a ₹30 lakh cash incentive for athlete Vithya Ramraj after she won a bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 28. Ramraj clocked a personal best of 54.75 seconds, finishing third while breaking PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record of 55.42 seconds. Usha had set the earlier mark at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The achievement marks a significant milestone for the 28-year-old athlete, who had equalled Usha’s record at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
CM Vijay congratulated Ramraj for bringing pride to Tamil Nadu and India and said her achievement would inspire the state’s youth and women. The ₹30 lakh award comes just days after the Tamil Nadu Government announced another ₹50 lakh incentive for Ramraj following her silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay at the same Games.
A Record That Stood For 42 Years
Ramraj’s bronze-medal-winning performance carried significance beyond the podium. She completed the 400m hurdles final in 54.75 seconds, improving the national record by 0.67 seconds. The previous mark of 55.42 seconds had stood since PT Usha recorded it at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Ramraj had already come close to breaking the record when she equalled Usha’s timing at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Three years later, she finally went past it on the Asian stage.
Congratulating the athlete, CM Vijay highlighted both the medal and the record-breaking performance. “It is even more commendable that the renowned Indian track and field athlete Ms. P.T. Usha’s national record, set in 1984, has been broken by the champion Vidhya Ramraj after 42 years,” he said in his social media post. He announced that the Tamil Nadu Government would provide ₹30 lakh in recognition of her achievement and said her success would give “new inspiration and confidence” to the state’s youth and women.
Two Medals, Two Milestones At The Asian Games
Ramraj’s latest medal is her second at the ongoing Asian Games. On September 24, she was part of India’s mixed 4x400m relay team that secured silver. The quartet of Vithya Ramraj, Vishal T.K., Poovamma Raju and Manu T.S. clocked 3:14.46 to finish behind Bahrain, which won gold in a Games-record 3:12.87. Ramraj played a crucial role in India’s silver-medal finish with a strong final leg. Following that performance, CM Vijay announced ₹50 lakh each for Ramraj and Vishal T.K.
Ramraj’s career has already included appearances on major international stages. She was part of India’s women’s 4x400m relay team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has established herself as both a 400m hurdler and quarter-miler. She is also among the athletes supported under the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s ELITE Sports Persons Scheme, which provides selected elite athletes with an annual scholarship of ₹30 lakh. The scheme currently covers 50 athletes, according to a report by Moneycontrol.
Her latest performance therefore represents not just an individual breakthrough, but the continuation of a journey in which she has repeatedly competed against the benchmark set by one of India’s most celebrated track athletes. By lowering a record that had remained untouched for more than four decades, Ramraj has set a new national standard in the event.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Sporting achievements are often remembered through medals and records, but the journeys behind them also deserve attention. Ramraj’s achievement shows how sporting benchmarks can be carried forward from one generation to another, with athletes building on the foundations laid by those who competed before them.
Recognition through financial incentives can provide encouragement, but sustained support, quality training, access to facilities and opportunities to compete internationally remain important for athletes seeking to progress over the long term. Ramraj’s record-breaking run also offers a moment to celebrate perseverance and the possibilities that open up when athletes are given the opportunity to compete at the highest level. As she begins the next chapter of her career, what more can be done to ensure India’s athletes receive consistent support beyond their medal-winning moments?
ஜப்பானில் நடைபெற்றுவரும் ஆசிய விளையாட்டுப் போட்டியில், பெண்கள் 400 மீட்டர் தடை ஓட்டப் பிரிவில் வெண்கலப் பதக்கம் வென்று தமிழ்நாட்டிற்கும், இந்தியாவிற்கும் பெருமை சேர்த்துள்ள தடகள வீராங்கனை வித்யா ராம்ராஜ் அவர்களுக்கு எனது மனமார்ந்த பாராட்டுகளையும், நல்வாழ்த்துகளையும் தெரிவித்துக்… pic.twitter.com/2SKLnc9H1Z
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) September 28, 2026
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