Animesh Kujur, Gurindervir Singh smash 100m National Record at Athletics Federation Cup 2026
(Courtesy : @animesh_kujur_/@animesh_kujur_/Instagram)
Punjab star clocked 10.17 before Animesh Kujur did his thing.
India’s fastest sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh smashed the men’s 100m national record twice in the space of five minutes at the ongoing Indian Athletics Federation Cup in Ranchi on Friday evening.
Gurindervir produced the run of his life, clocking 10.17 seconds in the first semi-final of the men’s 100m to shatter the previous NR of 10.18s set by Kujur last year in Grece.
It was a moment Gurindervir had worked years towards and for a few minutes he stood as India’s fastest man.
Then Kujur came out for the second semi-final.
The Odisha sprinter ran 10.15s under legal wind conditions of +0.3 m/s and erased Gurindervir’s record almost as soon as it had been set. It was one of those remarkable sequences Indian athletics has seen as two national records in the same event fell within the same evening.
Kujur’s run also cleared the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard for Glasgow, which confirmed his place at the tournament. The timing also ranks him sixth fastest in Asia in 2026.
Related: Top five all-time fastest Indian athletes in men’s 100m
Rest of the field finishes well off the pace
The gap between Kujur and the rest of the semi-final field was considerable. Tamil Nadu’s Sam Vasanth S finished second in 10.45s, with Adesh Garsa of All India PO taking third in 10.48s.
Harsh Santosh of the Navy clocked 10.49s in fourth, while Sadanand Kuma of Jharkhand finished fifth in 10.52s.
Laukik Anant Me of Maharashtra clocked 10.57s in sixth, Eeshaan John Me of Maharashtra followed in 10.61s and Akelaan Nagar of Tamil Nadu finished last in 10.85s.
The 22-year-old Kujur had shown his intentions earlier in the season; after clocking 10.28s at the Indian Athletics Series in Delhi in April, he had spoken openly about targeting the 10-second barrier, a mark no Indian man has officially crossed. Friday’s performance in Ranchi suggests that the target is firmly within his sights.
Who currently holds the Indian National Record in men’s 100m?
The National Record remains with Animesh Kujur, who reclaimed it with a brilliant 10.15s run at the 2026 Athletics Federation Cup.
How did Gurindervir Singh perform at 2026 Athletics Federation Cup?
Gurindervir smashed the previous National Record of 10.18s set by Animesh in 2025, by clocking 10.17s in the meet. His National Record, however, only lasted for five minutes before Animesh claimed it back.
How did Animesh Kujur perform at the 2026 Athletics Federation Cup?
Animesh not just reset the NR but also breached the qualification mark for Commonwealth Games (10.16s).
Did any other sprinter qualify for 2026 Commonwealth Games in men’s 100m?
No, apart from Animesh, no other sprinter breached the mark, with Gurindervir falling short by 0.01s.
Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.