Ludhiana, Sept. 2 -- The 21st National Youth Athletics Championship 2026 commenced at Guru Nanak Stadium on Tuesday, drawing young track and field athletes from across the country for a three-day national contest.

Being held from September 1 to 3 under the aegis of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and organised by the Punjab Athletics Association, the opening day witnessed competition for national honours across various under-18 categories.

Tamil Nadu athletes dominated the under-18 100-metre sprints. T Mrithika of Tamil Nadu clinched the gold in the girls' 100m event, while her state counterpart, Neil Samraj R, secured top honours in the corresponding boys' 100m dash. In field events, Oshin of Haryana claimed the gold medal in t...