New Delhi: In the high-stakes, blink-and-you-miss-it world of track and field, Indian sprinting is experiencing an unprecedented revolution, and Animesh Kujur is right at the center of it. During a recent episode of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi threw the spotlight on a historic weekend where the men’s 100-meter national record was shattered three times in just forty-eight hours. Among the two athletes rewriting history is Kujur, a young man whose journey to the top is as rapid as his sprint times.
Kujur’s story is a classic tale of accidental discovery fueled by pure talent. Growing up as a student at Sainik School Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, his first love was actually football. It was only during the fading days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when his parents allowed him some freedom to run outside, that his trajectory changed. At the urging of his football friends, he entered a local state meet just to give it a shot. Unbeknownst to him, the meet served as a national qualifier. Kujur won, got selected, and by 2021, a new track star was born.
In just a few short years, Kujur has transitioned from a schoolboy football player to an international medal winner, securing accolades at both the Asian level and the World University Games. Today, while he hails from Chhattisgarh, he proudly represents Odisha on the domestic circuit and holds national records in the 200m and 400m categories.
However, breaking into elite sprinting in India came with its fair share of skepticism. Kujur recalls being told by doubters that Indians simply did not possess the genetic makeup to run “Sub-10” or “Sub-10.1” times in the blue-ribbon sprint events. Propelled by the unwavering financial and emotional backing of his family, Kujur set out to prove the critics wrong. His father told him that once he stepped onto the track, he must never look back, urging him to show the world what Indian athletes are truly capable of.
That determination culminated in a thrilling friendly rivalry with fellow sprinter Gurinder Veer Singh. Speaking to the Prime Minister, Kujur detailed how the national record became a game of musical chairs over the course of a single weekend. Kujur initially held the record at 10.18 seconds. In the first semi-final of their meet, Gurinder Veer clocked 10.17 seconds to snatch the crown. Not to be outdone, Kujur stepped onto the track for the second semi-final and blazed through the finish line at 10.15 seconds to take the record right back.
Despite the intense on-track competition, Kujur emphasizes that the rivalry is built on a foundation of deep friendship and shared ambition. Having shared rooms during international competitions in Saudi Arabia, Kujur and Gurinder Veer often spoke about their shared responsibility to elevate Indian sprinting on the global stage.
With both athletes now selected for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Kujur is focused on pushing the boundaries of what Indian runners can achieve, proving that no barrier is too high and no record is permanent.