By Sundeep Misra, OCA Media
Nagoya, Japan, September 25, 2026: The stadium lights of the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium blazed brilliantly on what was a historic Friday evening with almost 15,000 ecstatic fans witnessing the peak of athletic greatness at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Among the stars that shone brightly was Thai sprinter Puripol “Bew” Boonson who etched his name permanently into the annals of Asian athletics history.
Having already signalled his intentions by clocking a sizzling 9.91 seconds in the semi-finals, breaking both his own Thai national record of 9.94 seconds and lowering the previous Asian Games record of 9.92 seconds, Puripol returned to the track for the final and did the unthinkable. He shattered the Games record a second time in one unforgettable evening, blazing across the finish line in a breathtaking 9.90 seconds to claim the gold medal and the title of the Fastest Man in Asia.
The young Thai phenomenon has enjoyed a meteoric rise since claiming the 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles as a 16-year-old at the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games. Over the years, he added a hard-earned silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games behind China’s Xie Zhenye and another at the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
Last year, he made history by becoming the first Southeast Asian sprinter to legally break the 10-second barrier with a 9.94s run at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games, but this performance in Nagoya was transcendent. Behind him, the silver and bronze medals were fiercely contested by Oman’s Ali Al Balushi and Malham Al Balushi, both running phenomenal personal bests of 10.04 and 10.11 seconds, respectively.
Reflecting on his monumental victory, a beaming Puripol shared: “To break the Games record twice in one night and win gold for Thailand is a dream come true. I’ve worked so hard for this and seeing all the sacrifices pay off on this grand stage leaves me speechless.”
Elsewhere, the field and distance events delivered equally gripping drama.
*In the men’s hammer throw final, Uzbekistan’s Sukhrob Khodjaev finally captured the elusive gold he had chased for years. Having previously settled for bronze at both the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, Khodjaev unleashed a massive throw of 74.38 meters to overcome Japan’s Shota Fukuda (71.78m) and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Aldubaisi (71.53m).
“I didn’t give up hope. But let’s call it third time lucky,” Khodjaev remarked with a triumphant smile. “I have stood with the bronze twice before, so standing here on top of the podium today in Nagoya is an indescribable feeling of relief and joy.”
*Meanwhile, the men’s 10,000-meter final was a tactical class in distance running. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew delivered a devastating performance, blowing the field apart on the final lap to secure his second consecutive Asian Games gold in 28:27.51.
India’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist Gulveer Singh fought valiantly for silver in 28:29.38, while Albert Kiptoo claimed bronze in 28:34.38 after brilliantly pacing much of the race for his Bahraini teammate.
Though Kiptoo made a bold surge with two laps remaining, Balew’s patience proved decisive. “It was a tactical race, especially with Kiptoo setting a strong pace, but I kept my composure, trusted my training and waited for the right moment to unleash my final kick,” Balew reflected.
