Indian athletics witnessed a historic moment at the National Senior Federation Athletics Championships as Punjab sprinter Gurindervir Singh shattered the men’s 100m national record with a sensational timing of 10.09 seconds. With this performance, he became the first Indian athlete ever to complete the 100m sprint in under 10.10 seconds, marking a landmark achievement in Indian track and field history. The dramatic competition also featured an intense rivalry between Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, creating one of the most memorable sprint battles in the country’s athletics history. Before the event, Animesh Kujur, representing Odisha, held the national record of 10.18 seconds and entered the championship as the favorite. However, Gurindervir stunned the field by clocking 10.17 seconds in the semifinal heats to briefly claim the national record.
Just minutes later, 22-year-old Animesh responded with an even faster 10.15-second run in the next semifinal heat, reclaiming the national record in dramatic fashion. But in the final, Gurindervir delivered an extraordinary performance, crossing the finish line well ahead of Animesh and stopping the clock at 10.09 seconds. He finished nearly two feet ahead of his rival, cementing his place as India’s fastest-ever sprinter. Representing the Reliance Foundation, Gurindervir also comfortably surpassed the Athletics Federation of India’s qualifying mark of 10.16 seconds for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, effectively securing his qualification spot. His 10.09-second sprint is currently the second-fastest time recorded in Asia this season. The top spot belongs to Japanese teenager Fukuto Komuro, who clocked 10.08 seconds earlier this year, highlighting Gurindervir’s emergence as one of Asia’s most promising sprinters.
