10.17 Seconds of Promise: Why Punjab Sprinter Harjit Singh’s Unofficial Best is Just the Beginning

Sometimes the stopwatch tells one story, and fate tells another. A few days ago in Pune, Harjit Singh crossed the finish line in an astonishing 10.17 seconds in the men's 100m at the Indian Athletics Series-8. It was the fastest race of his life.

But the fate had other plans. Since the timing was wind-assisted and would not count for records.

Denied by the Wind, Not the Will

Just days earlier at the Punjab State Championships, the 28-year-old had clocked 10.21 seconds. That performance too was ruled ineligible for record purposes.

For many athletes, such disappointments can break confidence. For Harjit Singh, they have only strengthened his belief. "The race was good from my perspective," Harjit told myKhel.

"I felt the timing could have been better, but the race committed two fouls, which disturbed my mindset a bit. I had also competed in the State Championships just two days earlier, so I was carrying a lot of fatigue." He added, "I believe I will perform much better in the next competition in Ludhiana (Indian Athletics Series-9)."

From Kabaddi Mats to the Athletics Track

What makes Harjit's story remarkable is not just the timings. It is the journey behind them. The sprinter from Majri village in Fatehgarh Sahib did not grow up dreaming of becoming India's next sprint sensation. The son of a retired PSPCL employee, Harjit spent his early years playing kabaddi. It was only around Class XI that he shifted his focus completely to athletics.

Since then, one man has stood beside him through everything: coach Sarabjit Singh Happy. "I have been training under Happy Sir right from the beginning of my career," Harjit said.

The Coach Who Kept the Dream Alive

Harjit is employed as a sergeant in the Indian Air Force (IAF) but his earnings are spent on nutrition, supplements and spikes, leaving him cash-strapped for travels at times. "My coach has helped me tremendously, including financially. In fact, he even paid for my flight tickets to Pune."

Happy Singh is also the coach who guided India's current national record holder Gurindervir Singh during his early years. Harjit and Gurindervir still remain close.

Asked if he interacts with the fellow Punjab athlete - who has been hogging the limelight due to his 10.09s national record at the Federation Cup last month - Harjit said, "Yes, I stay in touch with Gurindervir regularly," Harjit said.

"He often tells me that the facilities at Reliance (Sports Foundation in Mumbai where Gurindervir trains) are excellent and that the quality of training there is very good. If I had access to those kinds of facilities, I believe I would have achieved these timings much earlier in my career."

Perhaps the biggest reason this season feels special is because of what came before it. Harjit had clocked 10.34 seconds in 2021. Over the next five years, he dipped below 10.40 seconds only twice. Injuries, inconsistency and setbacks followed. But things started turning around in 2025.

"I suffered a hamstring injury and also developed an infection, which affected my performances," he recalled. "I sustained the injury during the Services competition and even competed at the Open Nationals while still carrying that injury."

The road back was not easy. "This year, however, my body has been responding very well," Harjit said. "Happy Sir has worked extensively on strengthening my muscles. He has ensured that my diet is properly managed and has focused heavily on my technical training, including my block starts and speed endurance."

The results have been extraordinary. Harjit opened his season by winning the Indian Athletics Series-5 in Sangrur with a personal best of 10.32 seconds, his first personal best improvement in five years. "When I clocked 10.32 seconds, I was still training under a heavy workload," he said.

"I have only recently started focusing more on speed workouts. If there had been a few stronger runners in this race, I think the timing here could have been even better."

He revealed that coach Happy Singh had instructed him to be cautious. "Happy Sir had already advised me to push only until the 80m mark because it was important for me to qualify for the Inter-State Championships."

Eyes on Ludhiana: The Commonwealth Quest

Now, Ludhiana awaits. The meet represents the final opportunity to achieve the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard of 10.16 seconds, and Harjit knows exactly what is at stake.

"I don't carry too much pressure with me," he said. "But judging by the way my body is responding, I believe I can improve my personal best again in Ludhiana."

He also revealed that family issues forced him to miss the Indian Athletics Series-3 in New Delhi, delaying the start of his campaign and costing him a chance to compete at the Federation Cup. "Otherwise, I believe I would have performed well there too," he said. For now, Harjit Singh remains a man caught between recognition and possibility.

The record books may not acknowledge the 10.17 or the 10.21. But those who have followed Indian athletics closely know what they represent. They represent a sprinter who refused to give up after injuries. A village boy who traded kabaddi for spikes.

An athlete whose coach paid for his flights because he believed in him. A 28-year-old finding the best form of his life when many had stopped looking his way.

The wind may have denied Harjit Singh twice. But it cannot take away what these races have revealed: Sometimes, the most inspiring victories are not the ones officially recorded. They are the ones that prove an athlete still has the courage to believe that his fastest race is yet to come.