Western Railway Celebrates Asian Games Success At Media Interaction
· Free Press Journal
Western Railway organised a media interaction with its sportspersons who represented India at the recently concluded 20th Asian Games 2026. The interaction was held in the presence of Ramashray Pandey, General Manager of Western Railway, on 7th October, 2026, at Western Railway Headquarters, Churchgate, Mumbai. The event celebrated the achievements of six women sportspersons of Western Railway, with four being part of Gold Medal-winning Indian teams and two securing Silver Medals at the Games held at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19th September to 4th October, 2026.
According to a press release issued by Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, Pandey congratulated the medal winners and expressed particular pride in the fact that all six Western Railway medallists were women. Appreciating their dedication and perseverance, he described their achievements as an inspiration for young sportspersons and acknowledged the contribution of their coaches, families and Railway colleagues in supporting their success.
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V. A. Malegaonkar, Principal Chief Operations Manager, Western Railway and President, Western Railway Sports Association (WRSA); Vivek Dixit, Chief Electrical Distribution Engineer, Western Railway and Honorary General Secretary, WRSA; and Pappu Yadav, Officer on Special Duty (Sports), WRSA, were also present on the occasion.
Ms. Sonali Shingate, Ms. Raj Rani and Ms. Sonam Uttam Maskar attended the press meet in person, while the remaining sportspersons joined through video conferencing.
Ms. Navneet Kaur and Ms. Sunelita Toppo were members of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team which won the Gold Medal after defeating China in the final. The historic victory ended a 44-year wait for the Asian Games women’s hockey title and secured India’s direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. In Women’s Kabaddi, Ms. Sonali Shingate and Ms. Raj Rani were part of the Gold Medal-winning Indian team which defeated Iran in the final.
Ms. Antim Panghal clinched the Silver Medal in the Women’s 53 kg Freestyle Wrestling event, while Ms. Sonam Uttam Maskar won the Silver Medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team event. Their performances added to Western Railway’s contribution to India’s success across different sporting disciplines.
The General Manager also appreciated Adarsh Ram, who represented India in Men’s High Jump against some of Asia’s finest athletes, and Satyadev Malik, who officiated as an international Wrestling Referee. Ramashray Pandey expressed confidence in the potential of Western Railway’s sportspersons to achieve further success at forthcoming international competitions.
Highlighting Indian Railways’ longstanding contribution to sports, Pandey stated that the Railway Sports Promotion Board, established in 1928, promotes 29 recognised sporting disciplines. He noted that 69 sportspersons, 10 coaches and three referees from Indian Railways represented India at the 20th Asian Games. Western Railway has an annual provision for recruiting 73 sportspersons, comprising 64 through open advertisement and nine through talent scouting.
Pandey emphasised that Railway support enables sportspersons to pursue excellence while enjoying employment security. He outlined facilities such as Special Casual Leave for training and competitions, including provision for up to 330 days for eligible sportspersons, along with out-of-turn promotions and incentive increments in accordance with prescribed norms. These measures enable athletes to focus on training and preparation, helping them improve their skills for upcoming sporting events.
He also highlighted the development of sports infrastructure, including the Mahalaxmi Sports Complex in Mumbai, with its swimming pool, upgraded gymnasium, cricket and football facilities and provision for several other sports. Western Railway’s cricket ground at Ahmedabad and specialised gymnastics centre at Ujjain further support training and development. During the interaction, coaches outlined the use of performance monitoring, video analysis and sports science to improve training and help athletes identify areas for improvement.
Sharing their experiences with representatives of print and electronic media, the sportspersons acknowledged the financial stability, training support and encouragement provided by the Railways. They spoke about the importance of regular practice, fitness, team coordination and family support in their sporting journeys. The hockey players highlighted that securing an Olympic berth well in advance provides a clear opportunity to plan and focus on preparations for Los Angeles 2028.
The General Manager also commended Western Railway’s recent successes in Inter-Railway aquatic and wrestling competitions, covering swimming, water polo and diving, as well as freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Appealing to the media to give greater visibility to different sporting disciplines, he said wider recognition of athletes’ efforts and achievements would encourage emerging talent and motivate sportspersons to attain greater heights.
The event included a question-and-answer session and media interactions with the sportspersons and coaches. Western Railway remains committed to identifying and nurturing sporting talent, strengthening training facilities and supporting its athletes in bringing further laurels to the nation.