Animesh Kujur broke the national record in the 100m to seal Commonwealth Games qualification

Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur broke the men’s 100m national record just minutes after Gurindervir Singh narrowly set a new mark at the National Senior Athletic Federation Competition on Friday, May 22. The quick exchange of records also meant that Animesh has now officially secured qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Animesh, representing Odisha, bettered the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 10.16 seconds set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), underlining his rise in Indian sprinting.

Earlier in the day, Gurindervir Singh broke for the first time Animesh Kujur’s 10-month-old national record of 10.18 secondswith a time of 10.17 seconds in the opening semifinal heat. However, the new record only lasted a few minutes as Animesh responded in the very next run with a time of 10.15 seconds to claim the national record.

A sensational evening at the Federation Cup saw Indian athletics history rewritten twice in quick succession and a thrilling rivalry in the men’s 100m sprint. Battle between Gurindervir and Animesh has now emerged as one of the most closely watched stories in Indian athletics, with both sprinters taking each other to new heights.

10.15 for Animesh and he takes back NR again! At that time, Animesh also qualifies for CWG. Every 5 minutes of action at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/SOGjHTeWe1— IOD Sports (@olympic_indian) May 22, 2026

The two athletes will meet again in the final of the men’s 100, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at 19:10. With the dynamic shifting between the two, anticipation is high for another intense battle between the country’s two fastest sprinters.

STRONG PERFORMANCE AT EVENTS

The Federation Cup also saw a remarkable performance in the women’s long jump, where Ancy Sojan registered a new personal best of 6.75m. The leap takes her closer to the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 6.84m as she continues her quest for consistency at the elite level. He is also closing in on a national record of 6.83m as he targets the qualifying standard.

In the morning session, Uttarakhand’s Deepak Bhatt won the men’s 10,000 meters with a time of 29:42.93, which was quite modest by international standards.

Karnataka’s Shivaji M reportedly struggled during the demanding race in hot conditions and had to be helped by team coaches after showing signs of dehydration, highlighting the tough environmental conditions the athletes faced during the event.

In the women’s 10,000m, Maharashtra’s Ravina Gayanadava took the title in 35:30.98, well below her Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 31:14.14, underscoring the gap that still exists in endurance standards at the national level.

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Published on:

22 May 2026 20:25 IST

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