Asian Athletics Championships 2025: Sprint Sensation Animesh Kujur Eyes Breaking Records, Not Just Winning Medals

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New Delhi, May 28: India's rising sprint star Animesh Kujur is set to make his international debut at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi, Republic of Korea.

The 21-year-old recently clocked a national record in 200m at the Federation Cup with an impressive 20.40 seconds to clinch gold and currently ranks third on the Asian leaderboard for 2025. The reigning 200m national champion trails only Towa Uzawa of Japan (20.13s) and Kazakhstan's Abdulaziz Atafi (20.14s).

Kujur Eyeing Memorable Debut For India

"This is my first Asian Championship and also my first time representing India. I'm extremely excited and confident because my performances have been consistently improving," Kujur told myKhel before leaving for Gumi.

While he's performed impressively in both 100m and 200m, his heart is firmly set on the longer sprint and he eyes a sub-20. "My favourite event has always been 200m. I focus more on that, and it gives me the most satisfaction," added Kujur, who is also called Indian Usain Bolt - for his 'bow and arrow pose' which used to be the Jamaican Sprint Great's trademark celebration.

Despite being one of India's top medal contenders in Gumi, Kujur remains grounded. "I'm not thinking about the medal. I'm chasing good timings. If the environment is right, and competition is strong, I believe I can push myself."

'Targetting Better Timings For World Championships Qualification'

Kujur's biggest target? The World Championships qualification mark of 20.16 seconds in the 200m. "That's my main goal. I've already come close with a 20.58, and I believe with a few months of good training, I can achieve the qualifying standard."

Reflecting on his journey since January, Kujur admitted that while the Asian meet was not his original focus, it has now become an ideal platform to test himself. "Earlier this year, I was unsure about 20.53. But after running 20.58 in at Inter-State, my confidence grew. I've worked on my training, repetitions, and understanding race execution."

High Hopes From 4x100m Relay Team In Gumi

He also emphasised how racing against fellow Indian sprinters like Amlan Borgohain, Manikanta Hoblidhar and Gurvindervir Singh helped him break barriers. "Competing with fast runners helped me unknowingly push past my limits. I'm hoping for the same in (South) Korea."

All the athletes are part of the Reliance Foundation program and train under the expert guidance of James Hillier, except Animesh Kujur, who trains under Martin Owens in Bhubaneswar. Together, they form the core of India's 4x100m relay squad-one that both the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and Reliance Foundation have high expectations from.

With strong performances anticipated, India is banking on impressive results from both the men's 4x100m and the mixed relay teams at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.

On the performance of India's 4x100m relay team in South Korea, Kujur seems optimistic. "We've been training together and even set a national record at the recent Relay Carnival. We're targetting better performances in Gumi." The fact that the quartet trains together provides extra motivation and the opportunity to learn from each other.

Despite it being his first outing in Indian colours at the Asian level, Kujur is calm and motivated. "I've competed internationally, but this is the first time I'll be wearing the India jersey for Asian Athletics. That gives me a sense of pride and added responsibility."

India will be hoping Kujur's red-hot form translates into something special in Gumi-not just for medals, but for national sprinting history.