Abdulrahman’s silver in 400m race opens UAE’s Asian Games account

The UAE opened their medal account at the Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 after Sulaiman Abdulrahman claimed silver in the men’s 400m race final, clocking 44.99 seconds and finishing just 0.09 seconds behind Thailand’s Joshua Atkinson, who won gold in 44.90 seconds.

Another UAE athletes Emmanuel Bamidele also competed in the final, recording 45.97 seconds.

The men’s 400m final was attended by Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE Olympic Committee; Noura Al Jasmi, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Olympic Committee; Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Olympic Committee and President of the UAE Athletics Federation; and Jamila Abdulrahman, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Athletics Federation. They followed the race and supported the UAE athletes throughout the competition.

Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr extended his highest congratulations to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and to the UAE leadership and people on the nation’s first medal at the Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, following Sulaiman Abdulrahman’s outstanding silver-medal performance in the men’s 400m after a fiercely contested race that went down to the final metres.

Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr also congratulated Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, and Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Vice President of the UAE Olympic Committee, commending the support and attention extended to UAE sport and the national teams, which provide further motivation to pursue greater achievements for the UAE.

Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr said: “We are delighted that athletics has opened the UAE’s medal account at the Games. For us, this silver feels like gold, given the high standard of the race and the extremely narrow margin to first place.

“Sulaiman delivered an outstanding performance that reflects how we want UAE athletics to be represented on the continental and international stages,” he added.

Meanwhile, India men’s Kabaddi team extended their authority at the Asian Games as they bagged a record-extending ninth gold medal.

The Indian men’s backed the women’s gold medal with their own yellow metal as they defeated a strong Iranian side 40-34 in a thrilling final at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium here in Tokai.

Earlier, the Indian women’s team defended its Kabaddi gold medal with a strong performance against an impressive Iranian side. The Indian team clinched their fourth Kabaddi gold in the history of the Asian Games with a 37-34 win over 2018 champions Iran.

Weightlifting records tumble: Six more world records were set in weightlifting, taking the Asian Games total to 15 in four days.

North Korea’s Ri Won Ju won the men’s 70kg gold after setting a world record of 198kg in the clean and jerk and a 349kg total. Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto took silver despite setting a new snatch record of 154kg.

In the 75kg category, Indonesia’s Rahmat Erawan Abdullah retained his Asian Games title, setting world records in the clean and jerk (206kg) and total (366kg). North Korea’s Ri Chong Song claimed bronze in the 81kg category after setting a 162kg snatch world record.

Bahrain’s Salwa Naser set an Asian Games record to win the women’s 400m gold in 49.20 seconds on a rain-soaked track.

Iran’s Zahra Zarei Manoujan took silver in 53.38 seconds, with India’s Prachi Choudary completing the podium.

Japan schoolboy wins gold: Eel-loving schoolboy Yuki Kurihara, 11, won an gold medal as China powered past the 100-gold medal mark in the continental showpiece event.

The 11-year-old Esports prodigy Yuki Kurihara, who won a puzzle video game title by dominating a field containing opponents three times his age.

“To be completely honest, I felt a bit embarrassed, so I couldn’t really show my expressions or change my face much,” Kurihara said after blowing away a series of opponents, some three times his age.

Kurihara, who says he eats well to prepare for contests, bowed slightly as he received his gold medal and gave a small wave.

“I’m really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy,” he said.

Agencies