National Games 2025 Athletics: West Bengal’s Moumita Mondal secures multiple medals within minutes

West Bengal’s Moumita Mondal put on a stellar performance at the National Games 2025, winning two medals within minutes on Sunday, February 9, at the Ganga Athletics Ground, Maharana Pratap Sports College in Uttarakhand. The 23-year-old claimed a silver in the 100m hurdles event before quickly shifting her focus to the long jump, where she secured gold with a commanding performance.

Mondal’s feat was even more impressive given the scheduling chaos she had to navigate. The women’s 100m hurdles final and long jump final were scheduled too close together, making it a logistical challenge for her to compete in both events. Officials denied her request for a scheduling adjustment, forcing her to miss her first long jump attempt while she raced in the hurdles final.

Despite the hurdles final taking a toll on her physically, Mondal delivered a personal best time of 13.36 seconds, securing the silver medal behind Jyothi Yarraji, India’s top hurdler. She also managed to outpace Nithya Ramraj, who holds the second-best all-time Indian record (13.04s) in the event.

Moments after crossing the finish line, Mondal sprinted to the long jump event, where her first attempt measured 5.97m, far below her potential. The fatigue from the hurdles race was evident.

“I was very tired. I wasn’t able to run properly. There was a lot of lactic acid buildup in my body,” Mondal told the media after the event.

Realizing she needed a brief recovery, she decided to skip her second jump. The decision paid off as she returned refreshed for her third attempt, registering a strong 6.15m leap. She sealed the gold medal with a best jump of 6.21m two rounds later. Completely exhausted, she opted to skip her final attempt, but by then, she had already secured the top spot.

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Moumita Mondal secures first-ever gold in senior competitions

Moumita Mondal, despite her hectic schedule and all the struggle, had a happy ending to her day as she not only clinched two medals but also her first-ever gold medal in a senior competition.

"Too hectic. I had never won a gold medal in a senior competition before. I am very happy," she told the media.