Vithya Ramraj receives ₹75 lakh after third Asian Games medal

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced a ₹75 lakh cash incentive for athlete Vithya Ramraj after India won gold in the women’s 4x400-metre relay at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The latest reward is Ramraj’s third cash incentive during the Games and takes the total announced for her to ₹1.55 crore.

She previously received ₹50 lakh for helping India win silver in the mixed 4x400-metre relay and ₹30 lakh after taking bronze in the 400-metre hurdles. India’s women’s relay quartet of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi and Ramraj recorded 3:29.69 to finish ahead of Bahrain and China.

The result gave India its first athletics gold medal of the Games, according to the report. Vijay congratulated Ramraj and said the State reward recognised her achievement and dedication. He said her performance could inspire a new generation of athletes in Tamil Nadu.

Ramraj began her campaign with silver in the mixed relay, where India clocked 3:14.46. She then won bronze in the 400-metre hurdles in 54.75 seconds, lowering the national record previously held by P.T. Usha by 0.67 seconds.

The record had stood at 55.42 seconds for 42 years, according to the report. Ramraj had equalled it at the 2023 Asian Games before breaking it in Nagoya. Her three medals comprise the mixed relay silver, the individual hurdles bronze and the women’s relay gold.

The Tamil Nadu government has also announced awards for other athletes competing at the Games, including cricketer G. Kamalini and several badminton, squash and athletics competitors. The latest incentive follows Ramraj’s third medal and completes a sequence of State rewards linked to each of her reported achievements in Japan.