13-year-old Stuti Jaiswal strikes national gold

Indore: When Stuti Jaiswal first stepped onto a track as a four-year-old, few could have imagined that the young girl from Madhya Pradesh would one day stand atop a national podium.

A decade later, the 13-year-old has announced herself on the national stage by winning gold medal in Triathlon B event at Summer Open Athletics Games 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday.

Held at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the championship, jointly organised by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and Delhi Athletics, brought together some of the country’s most promising young athletes. Among them, it was Indore’s Stuti who stole the spotlight with a composed and commanding display to emerge as one of the standout performers of the tournament.

Triathlon B is among the toughest tests of an athlete’s all-round ability. Competitors must excel in three contrasting disciplines — 60m hurdles, high jump and shot put — earning points in each event. Success requires a rare combination of speed, agility, power and technical skill, making winners among the most complete athletes in their age category.

Stuti outpaced all her competitors to stay ahead on the field and secure the gold medal.

The achievement is the result of years of dedication. Stuti began training in athletics in 2016 at the age of four, under the guidance of her father and coach, Hansraj Kumar.

A businessman by profession, Kumar recognised his daughter’s natural talent early and encouraged her to pursue the sport seriously. Over the years, she has also trained under the guidance of other coaches who contributed to her development. Her mother, a homemaker, has been a constant source of support throughout her journey.

“Ever since I started training, I loved being on the field. Athletics never felt like a burden to me because I genuinely enjoy it,” Stuti said after her victory.

The national gold medal is another significant milestone in a journey that is still in its early stages. While many athletes her age are only beginning to explore competitive sport, Stuti is already focused on the biggest stage in world athletics.

“My dream is to represent India at Olympic Games and win a medal for the country. Every competition is a step towards that goal, and this gold medal motivates me to work even harder,” she said.

Her father believes the victory is a reflection of years of discipline and perseverance. “Stuti has always been dedicated to training and eager to improve herself. This achievement is important, but it is only the beginning of a much bigger journey,” he said.

The national gold adds to an impressive run for the young athlete. In the past year, Stuti won gold in Triathlon B at Madhya Pradesh junior athletics meet, gold in the 100m race at the CBSE Cluster Games and a gold and silver medal at the SGFI state championship, where she also qualified for National Games.