New Record! Mohammed Afsal creates history, breaks 7-year-old 800m national record at UAE Athletics Grand Prix
Mohammed Afsal
NEW DELHI: India's middle-distance runner
Mohammed Afsal
scripted history on Friday by breaking the long-standing men's
800m national record
at the
UAE Athletics Grand Prix
in Dubai. The 29-year-old clocked an impressive 1:45.61s to surpass the previous record of 1:45.65s set by Jinson Johnson in 2018.
Afsal's performance earned him a second-place finish at the
World Athletics Continental Tour
bronze-level meet, held at the Dubai Police Stadium.
Operation Sindoor
PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak
India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan
Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list
He was narrowly edged out by Kenya's
Nicholas Kiplagat
, who won the race with a time of 1:45.38.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
While Afsal's timing fell just short of the 2025 World Athletics Championships automatic qualification mark of 1:44.50, it marked a significant improvement in his personal best and reaffirmed his status as one of India's top middle-distance athletes. The Kerala athlete had earlier clinched a silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1:48.43.
Meanwhile, another Indian national record holder,
Animesh Kujur
, continued his fine form by winning the men's 200m in 20.45 seconds. Although slightly slower than his record-breaking 20.40 run at the 2025 Federation Cup, it was enough to secure gold in Dubai. Amlan Borgohain, the former national record holder, finished fifth with a timing of 21.08 seconds.
The meet offered a promising outlook for Indian athletics as the country's top runners build momentum ahead of a crucial international season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
11 minutes ago
- India Today
Viswanathan Anand set to make return in World Rapid and Blitz team championship
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand is all set to make a return during the World Rapid and Blitz team chess championship as a part of the Freedom team. The side will be led by FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsly, which only features Anand as the sole Indian in the team. The hot favourites for the tournament will be the WR Chess team, which will be spearheaded by Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia on the top board, as Magnus Carlsen won't take part in the competition. The World No.1 refused to take part in the FIDE event. Arjun Erigaisi will also be on the top board and will be assisted by by P Harikrishna on the second Read: D Gukesh picks his best Norway Chess moment. Carlsen can't stop laughing World junior champion V Pranav is a welcome addition to the side alongside Luke Leon Mendonca, who is the next rising star in Indian chess behind the the quartet of world champion D Gukesh, Arjun, R Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram. The event will also see Nihal Sarin in action, as he will represent the fifth-seed Ashdod elite chess club. Nihal and Anand will play as the top seed on top board like Erigaisi, but the presence of D Gukesh and Carlsen will be missed as they decided to skip the event. The WR Chess team is stacked with the Nepomniachtchi, Firouzja Alireza, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexandra Kostenuik, and Wesley So on the side. As part of the rules of the competition, every round has to have a female player as well as a player rated less than 2200 on the FIDE rating list that was last published on June 1. advertisementThis has been added to make the dynamics of the tournament more exciting than any other team event. The winner of each competition will get 110000 and 75000 US Dollars, Watch
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Deepika Padukone launches 75 badminton centers on her father's 70th birthday—read more
On the special occasion of her father Prakash Padukone's 70th birthday, actress Deepika Padukone launched 75 coaching centers under the Padukone School of Badminton (PSB) across 18 cities in India. To operate in major cities The initiative, which Deepika both founded and funds, aims to provide professional badminton training while promoting health, discipline, and sportsmanship. PSB will operate in major cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, NCR, Pune, Mysuru, Jaipur, Dehradun, Coimbatore, and others. The school is mentored by none other than Prakash Padukone, former world No. 1 and All England Champion, making it a significant milestone in Indian badminton. 'As someone who grew up playing badminton…' Marking the personal and professional celebration, Deepika took to social media to share a heartfelt note along with a picture of her and her father. 'As someone who grew up playing badminton, I've experienced firsthand how much this sport can shape one's life physically, mentally, and emotionally,' she wrote. Through PSB, she hopes to 'bring the joy and discipline of badminton to people from all walks of life' and inspire a generation that is healthier and more focused. Deepika Joins Atlee–Allu Arjun's Magnum Opus On professional front, Deepika Padukone is set to star in director Atlee's upcoming project, AA22 x A6, alongside Telugu superstar Allu Arjun . This marks Deepika's first foray into South Indian cinema and the first collaboration among the trio. The announcement video, released by Sun Pictures on June 7, generated major buzz across social media platforms, with the studio welcoming Deepika as 'The Queen.' Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone's previous hit film was the Prabhas starrer 'Kalki 2898 AD,' which also had Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal role. Deepika was also seen together with Hrithik Roshan in the aerial action flick 'Fighter'. Deepika Padukone and Tiger Shroff at Mumbai Airport
Mint
33 minutes ago
- Mint
Deepika Padukone wishes her father Prakash Padukone on his birthday through special announcement
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 10 (ANI): Bollywood star Deepika Padukone celebrated her father, badminton legend Prakash Padukone's 70th birthday in a special way on Tuesday. The actor shared the news in a press release in an Instagram post, stating that their Padukone School of Badminton (PSB) has achieved a significant milestone by establishing over 75 coaching centres across 18 cities, including Bengaluru, NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Pune, Nashik, Mysuru, Panipat, Dehradun, Udaipur, Coimbatore, Sangli, and Surat. Deepika said that the school "hope to bring the joy and discipline of Badminton to people from all walks of life" In a post on her Instagram handle, she wished her father a happy birthday, stating, "As someone who grew up playing badminton, I've experienced firsthand how much this sport can shape one's life - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through Padukone School of Badminton (PSB), we hope to bring the joy and discipline of Badminton to people from all walks of life, and build a generation that is healthier, more focused, and inspired by sport. Pappa, those who know you well, know your passion for this sport. That even at 70, all you do is eat, sleep and breathe Badminton. And we are committed to making your passion a reality: Badminton for All! Happy 70th Birthday Pappa!" After her announcement, Ranveer Singh dropped a heart emoji in the comment section. In the same press release, Prakash Padukone, PSB's Mentor and Advisor, shared his sentiment. "Sport is an integral part of growing up - it instills discipline, resilience, and a winning mindset that extends well beyond the court. With PSB, our goal is to make quality coaching accessible and affordable, nurture talent from the grassroots, and set a strong foundation for the future of Indian badminton," Padukone said. PSB partners with schools, institutions, and existing venues to set up grassroots academies that feed into its flagship Training Program at the 3 High-Performance Centres of Excellence in Bengaluru, as per the press release. (ANI)
