Phenomenal achievement: Sachin Tendulkar reacts as Gurindervir Singh makes history with a record sprint

NEW DELHI: Indian athletics witnessed a historic moment on Saturday when Gurindervir Singh became the fastest Indian in the men’s 100m, prompting an excited reaction from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on social media.Gurindervir clocked a sensational 10.09 seconds during the Senior Federation National Competition, breaking the national record and becoming the first Indian sprinter to run under 10.10 seconds. Tendulkar reached out to X to praise the Punjabi sprinter’s remarkable achievement.“Incredibly proud of Gurindervir Singh for becoming the fastest Indian ever. What a phenomenal achievement. Keep sprinting champ!” Sachin made the post while sharing visuals of the race.The record fell twice in a dramatic showdownThe men’s 100m battle between Gurindervir and Animesh Kujur turned into one of the most memorable sprint events in the history of Indian athletics.Animesh entered the competition as the national record holder last year at 10.18 seconds and was widely considered the favourite.But the drama began on Friday when 25-year-old Gurindervir clocked 10.17 seconds in the semi-finals to break the national record.Amazingly, just five minutes later, Animesh responded by clocking 10.15 seconds in the next semi-final heat, instantly claiming the record.The national record was broken twice within minutes.However, Gurindervir saved his best for Saturday’s final. The sprinter from Punjab cruised to victory in 10.09 seconds, finishing comfortably ahead of Animesh and making his mark firmly in the history of Indian athletics.Asia’s second fastest time this seasonGurindervir’s time is now the second fastest in Asia this season, behind only Japanese teenager Fukuto Komura, who clocked 10.08 seconds this year.The Indian sprinter also comfortably broke the Athletics Federation of India qualifying mark of 10.16 seconds for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.Meanwhile, Pranav Gurav finished third in the final with a time of 10.29 seconds.