Tejas Shirse And The Record-Breaking Continues After Clinching Gold In National Games- Exclusive

National record holder Tejas Shirse's red-hot form continues into the outdoor season after an incredible indoor campaign. At the CMCM Luxembourg Indoor Meeting, Tejas broke the 60m hurdles national record with a blistering time of 7.65s, surpassing Siddhanth Thingalaya's previous record of 7.70s.

Now, at the scenic Ganga Athletics Stadium in Uttarakhand, with the majestic mountains serving as a backdrop, Tejas once again stole the spotlight.

He clinched the gold medal in the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 13.65s, breaking his own meet record of 13.71s, set during the 2015 National Games.

"Satisfied. If I talk in terms of the final, it was decent. I was working on my first half, and if this had been a 60m hurdles race, I could have achieved a better time," Tejas told myKhel exclusively. "For outdoor races, you need rhythm and a bit of endurance. Since I hadn't done the 110m hurdles in the last month, the timing was expected. When I got here, I thought I could at least clock 13.50s because I was in good shape."

This was Tejas Shirse's third consecutive gold medal at the National Games, following his victories in 2022 (13.64s) and 2023 (13.71s).

When asked why he chose the National Games to open his outdoor season-despite it being the off-season for athletes-he responded, "The National Games are considered a high-level competition in India. It's not that I specifically wanted to start my outdoor season here, but yes, the timing of the National Games was quite off from an athletics perspective. So, I thought I'd compete and see what kind of result I could achieve without specific outdoor preparation."

At the start of this year, Tejas Shirse trained in Spain with legendary World Champion Ladji Doucoure and 2024 Diamond League winner Sasha Zhoya. Reflecting on his experience, the 22-year-old shared a powerful insight:

"We Indians often fear that international athletes perform far better because they believe in themselves. But we have all the facilities too-and if we believe, anything is possible."

Currently, Shirse is clocking under 14 seconds, but to break the 13-second barrier, he will need to take his performance to an even higher level. Without any real competitions in India, he needs to compete against the best to better his own timings and understand the technicalities of hurdling. Shaving off a hundredth of second is also a big improvement.

When asked whether he thinks about running a sub-13, the Maharashtra athlete said, "Yes, I do think about it. I entertain the thought that one day, I'll break that barrier. But realistically, it's a step-by-step journey. Honor the sport, and the sport will honor you."

2025 will, no doubt, be a big year for Tejas Shirse with the Asian Athletics Championships and World Championships approaching. First step is to qualify. For Tejas, the time ahead is challenging.

Tejas' immediate goal is to qualify for the Asian Athletics Championships, where the qualification mark stands at 13.56 seconds-an achievable target for him. However, securing a medal at the event will be a formidable challenge. India's last podium finish in the men's 110m hurdles at the Asian Athletics Championships dates back to the previous century when Satbir Singh won silver in 1979 and followed it up with a bronze in 1981.

"My first target is the Asian Athletics Championships, followed by the World University Games and then the World Championships. At the Asian Championships, I need to time my performance well. I have the confidence-I've competed with the same athletes before. If I deliver a strong performance, the medal will follow," Tejas signed off with determination.