Twinkle Chaudhary shines at 38th National Games with 3 medals

As the 38th National Games-2025 concluded in Dehradun on Wednesday, Jalandhar’s Twinkle Chaudhary emerged as a star, bagging three medals in track events. The 28-year-old athlete clinched a gold in the 4x400m women’s relay, a silver in the 800m race and a bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay.

Twinkle, alongside fellow Jalandhar athletes Ramandeep Kaur, Kiranpal Kaur and Rashdeep Kaur, was part of the gold-winning relay team. The video of their victory was shared by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on his social media, celebrating their achievement. Twinkle’s performance in the 800m race, where she clocked 2:03.46 minutes, was particularly remarkable. Her coach, Sarabjit Happy, expressed immense pride, stating, “Asian medallist Harmilan Bains clocked 2:03.75 in the same event at the championship in China, and Twinkle’s time was slightly better. This was a big feat for us.”

On the final day of the games, the Punjab team, which included Twinkle, Lovepreet Singh, Jagmeet Singh and Kiranpal Kaur, clocked 3:26.35 seconds to secure the bronze, trailing behind Kerala and Maharashtra. Twinkle’s performance this year is all the more significant as it marked her return to top form after a two-year gap. “At the National Games last year, I missed a medal after contracting dengue just days before the event. I was hospitalised with a low platelet count, and although I participated, my performance suffered. But this time, I was fully geared up,” shared Twinkle, who is also pursuing a Master’s in Physical Education. She had previously won silver in the same event at the National Games in Gujarat.

Reflecting on the venue in Dehradun, she said, “The games were held at a higher altitude, and while the days were bright and sunny, it was quite different for me. I’ve been training in the plains of Jalandhar, while my competitors had access to training in Dharamshala, but I couldn’t due to financial constraints.”

Looking ahead, Twinkle is hopeful of qualifying for the next Asian Games. “Although my performance at the National Games counts, I need to perform well again at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in April, likely in Kochi. That’s my immediate target,” she shared, eyeing the next big milestone in her career.