Tejas Shirse Breaks 110m Hurdles National Record, Books Commonwealth Games Berth with Historic 13.27s

Ludhiyana, June 13: Indian athletics witnessed a special moment in Ludhiana as Tejas Shirse produced the performance of his career. The national record holder stormed to a sensational time of 13.27s in the men's 110m hurdles at the Indian Athletics Series 9 here on Saturday (June 13), breaking his own national record and securing qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

It was not just another national record. It was a performance that placed Tejas among the very best hurdlers in Asia. His 13.27s is currently the sixth-fastest time in Asia this year and the fastest men's 110m hurdles performance ever recorded on Indian soil.

The achievement becomes even more remarkable when viewed in the context of his journey. Earlier this year, Tejas was sidelined by injury and missed a significant part of the season.

Many athletes struggle to regain their rhythm after such setbacks, but Tejas showed exceptional determination. On his return, he clocked 13.43s, India's second-fastest time ever, proving that he was ready to challenge the national record once again. However, the road was far from easy.

The Commonwealth Games qualification standard stood at 13.39 seconds. Tejas came painfully close on multiple occasions. He missed the mark by just a few hundredths of a second and later recorded times of 13.50s at the Federation Cup and 13.58s at the New Taipei City Athletics Open. The qualification remained out of reach.

Yet he never stopped believing. That perseverance finally paid off in Ludhiana. With a brilliant run of 13.27s, Tejas not only shattered his previous national record of 13.41s but also comfortably achieved the Commonwealth Games standard.

The significance of this achievement goes beyond numbers. The last Indian athlete to compete in the men's 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games was Sidhanth Thingalaya in 2014. Twelve years later, India will once again have a representative in the event, thanks to Tejas Shirse.

His career has been defined by resilience. Despite consistently being India's best hurdler, Tejas repeatedly found himself narrowly missing qualification for major championships. He came close to the 2022 Asian Games, the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.

Many athletes would have been discouraged by such disappointments. Tejas used them as motivation. Last year, he finally qualified for the World Championships, and now he has secured his place at the Commonwealth Games. More importantly, he has shown that Indian hurdling can compete with the best athletes in Asia.

History was made in Ludhiana, but this may only be the beginning. At just 13.27 seconds, Tejas Shirse has announced himself as one of Asia's premier hurdlers and given Indian athletics another reason to dream big.

For years, he chased the breakthrough moment. Now, he owns it. Tejas Shirse's journey is proof that persistence, patience and belief can eventually turn near misses into unforgettable triumphs.