Animesh Kujur Becomes Fastest 100m Indian Sprinter; Mohammed Afsal Smashes 800m National Record

New Delhi, July 6: In a landmark moment for Indian Athletics on Sunday (July 6), sprinters Animesh Kujur and Mohammed Afsal shattered national records in the 100m and 800m, respectively, underlining India's fast-rising status in global track and field.

22-year-old Kujur became the fastest man in the country after he blazed through the 100m in 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Greece. The Odisha athlete bettered fellow Reliance athlete Gurindervir Singh's 100m national record of 10.20 seconds.

Afsal, meanwhile, became the first Indian to break the 1:45-minute barrier in the 800m at the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiego meet in Poznan, Poland, clocking 1:44.96 minutes.

Animesh Kujur, who now holds both the 100m and 200m national records, had spoken to MyKhel ahead of the Asian Athletics Championships in May. Back then, he had shared a quiet confidence in his evolution: "I've worked hard on my starts and finishes. The competition is high in Asia, but I know what I'm capable of when everything clicks."

That conviction came to life in Vari, a suburb of Athens, where he ran the 100m final in 10.18 seconds, breaking Gurindervir Singh's 2021 mark of 10.20s. Sprinting in Heat 2 of the World Athletics Continental Tour silver label meet, Kujur not only won the race but also outpaced athletes from sprinting-strong nations like Greece and Finland. Greece's Sotirios Garagganis (10.23s) and Finland's Samuli Samuelsson (10.28s) finished behind him.

Earlier this year, Kujur also reset the 200m national record twice - first at the Federation Cup with 20.40 seconds, and then again at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi (South Korea) with 20.32 seconds to clinch a bronze medal. His consistency has made him the undisputed sprint king of India.

Mohammed Afsal: Breaking Barriers in the 800m

If Kujur represents India's rise in short sprints, Mohammed Afsal has single-handedly brought the 800m event into sharp focus. The 29-year-old athlete from Kerala shattered his own national record to become the first Indian to dip below 1:45 minutes, clocking 1:44.96 in a world-class field in Poznan.

Just two months ago in Dubai, Afsal had broken Jinson Johnson's seven-year-old national record of 1:45.65s with a 1:45.61s effort. Now, in Poland, he trimmed it further in a stacked field where Polish runners Maciej Wyderka (1:44.23s), Filip Ostrowski (1:44.25s), and Patryk Sieradzki (1:44.56s) took the top three spots with personal bests and meet records.

Though Afsal finished sixth in Heat A/1, his timing spoke louder than his position. A silver medallist at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Afsal has been gradually narrowing the gap between Indian middle-distance runners and their European counterparts.

"It's all about timing and planning my peak," Afsal had said after his Dubai record. On Saturday, his plan came together with perfect precision.

New Dawn in Indian Athletics

What makes these achievements monumental is that they arrive at a time when Indian athletics is entering a more ambitious phase. Neeraj Chopra's Olympic and World Championship medals may have opened the door, but the performances of athletes like Kujur, Afsal, Gulveer Singh and others which is creating space for more Indian sprinters, middle and long-distance runners to dream big.