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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Excited to run' Animesh Kujur leads India's pack of sprinters at World Athletics Continental Bronze level tour event
At any athletics meet globally, sprint is the blue-ribbon event but in India the attention is always on Javelin Throw, middle distance running, and jumps. However, for the first-time the eyes will be on the 100m and 200m as the World Athletics Continental Bronze level tour event takes shape for tomorrow at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The likes of Animesh Kujur, Gurindervir Singh, Manikanta, and Amlan Borgohain have brought the Indian sprinting to headlines with the record breaking spree in 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays. Currently, Animesh holds the both 100m and 200m record and the quartet holds the 4×100 record. The other reason for the sprint hype is the presence of Malaysian national record holder Muhammad Azeem Fahemi in the 100m who has a personal best of 10.01s (wind-assisted) and holds the Malaysian NR of 10.09s. Fahemi, who trains and competes at the NCAA in the US, ran 10.01s in May this year but it was wind-assisted. He will take on Amlan Borgohain of India who has blown hot and cold this season but will pose a serious threat to Fahemi in his favourable conditions. At the venue in Bhubaneswar, while Amlan does a few sit-ups and Fahemi warms up, the attention turns to Animesh as he is the hot property among the volunteers of the event as they take their turns to click a picture with him. The sprinter from Chhattisgarh has been the leader of the pack as he ran at the coveted Monaco Diamond League in the age-group 200m race alongside Australian prodigy Gout Gout. With the time for World Championships qualification coming to an end on 24th August, Animesh needs to perform well at this event in order to earn ranking points. 'I have been doing well in Europe this season and I am very excited to run in front of my home crowd. It feels good to be back home and run after traveling around the globe,' Animesh tells The Indian Express. Apart from being the first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour event in the nation, it holds important ranking points for Indian athletes eyeing World Championships qualification. One such athlete is triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker who is currently placed 32nd in the race to World Championships. 'I know I am in the qualification race. A good result here will get me more ranking points to strengthen my qualification,' says Abdulla. On the other end of the warm up area, Sreeshankar Murali is just walking up and down. While he politely refuses to talk to the media before the event, he says, 'This event is very important to me and I have to go all out.' On a comeback trail after missing the Paris Olympics, Sreeshankar needs to breach the qualification mark of 8.27m as he is nowhere close through the ranking gateway. A jet-lagged Annu Rani wants to go past the World Championship qualification mark after finding her rhythm and throwing 62.59m this week in Poland. 'I have been trying hard to get my rhythm back after the Asian Games. I have only thrown at the International events before, it is good to be back and throw in front of the our own people,' she says. Like any other Indian event, Javelin Throw is the most competitive field of the tournament. A continental tour event in India means it is a good exposure for South Asian countries like Sri Lanka. Sumedha Ranasinghe and Rumesh Pathirage, who have already qualified for World Championships, see this tournament as a good warm up for the Worlds. 'It is rare that we have such high-level tournaments in India and the local competition of India is very high. This tournament will serve me well for me in the run-up to the World's,' says Sumedha. Sumedha and Rumesh have personal bests of 85.78m and 85.41m respectively and Indian throwers Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Shivam Lohakare will face tough competition from their neighbours. While both Yashvir and Sachin are well placed in the rankings to qualify for the Worlds, a good day might result in them breaking the qualification mark of 85.50m. While Kalinga Stadium has witnessed star power when current Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra came to compete in the Federation Cup Athletics last year ahead of the Paris Olympics, the continental tour poses different challenges to the organisers. 'There have been certain challenges as we had to fit 19 events in the space of three hours. It is more like a small Asian Athletics Championships that was held here in 2017,' says an AFI official. The successful organization of this event can result in India getting more international events in the near future. 'We have been trying to get the World Continental Tour level event to India for a long time. We wanted to do a silver or a gold level event but World Athletics asked us to start with the bronze level. It is helpful for the aspirations of holding a Diamond League or World Championships in the future,' says Adille Sumariwalla, former AFI president and World Athletics Vice-president. India already conducted a World Athletics Category A level last month when Bengaluru hosted Neeraj Chopra Classic, a Javelin exclusive event. When asked about the aspiration of hosting a World Championship, Adille says,'There are a lot of parameters which World Athletics considers. We want to host this event successfully and upgrade to silver or gold next year.' Athletes to watch out for: India: Animesh Kujur, Sreeshankar Murali, Sachin Yadav, Abdulla Aboobacker, Shaili Singh, Annu Rani Overseas: Muhammed Azeem Fahemi (Malaysia), Sumedha Ranasinghe, Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka), Alice Hopkins (Great Britain) Pritish Raj works with sports team at The Indian Express' and is based out of New Delhi. ... Read More
Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Restarting the start: To shave milliseconds, India's fastest man Animesh Kujur fine-tunes technique, one step at a time
Animesh Kujur has been on a record-breaking run. He was part of the team that breached the 4x100m national mark. He broke the 200m national record twice. Then, earlier this month, he shattered the 100m mark too. But Kujur, the 22-year-old sprinter, knows the importance of getting faster than he already is. So, he and his coach Martin Owens shifted base to Europe last month, where he trained and competed. The plan worked. In Geneva last month, Animesh ran the 200m in 20.27 seconds, the fastest-ever time by an Indian in the race. However, it didn't make it to the record books because of a wind assistance of +2.3 m/s. Days later, in Athens, he broke the national record, clocking 10.18s. It was his first international 100m race. As much as these runs have been fast, in an Indian context, it was a fifth-place finish that gave him a proper insight as to where he actually stands. At the Under-23 race of the Monaco Diamond League, Animesh lined up alongside Australian teen sensation Gout Gout, who is being compared to a young Usain Bolt. Animesh clocked 20.55m and finished fourth; Gout Gout won with 20.10 in a race with a strong headwind. Animesh's coach Owens said the race gave them a lot to ponder. 'It is going to be a gradual improvement for him, and we need to be patient with that. When I saw the splits from the Monaco DL race, Gout Gout was quicker every 10 metres. He started well and accelerated till 40 metres, kept his pace uniform and then after 130m raced to his victory. This is something we have to work on. I want Animesh to be quicker every 10m section he crosses,' Owens said. To bridge this gap, the coach-athlete duo moved their base to the Swiss Olympic Medical Centre in the quaint village of Magglingen, where Europe's elite athletes train. And they began right from the start, under the watchful eyes of Bobsleigh strength and conditioning coach Chris Wolley. The first thing Animesh worked on during his time with Wolley was the first two strides he took and the placement of the starting blocks. Measuring 6 feet and two inches, relatively tall for a sprinter like Bolt, a good start has not been his strong suit. The starting blocks for a sprinter are like a launchpad for a rocket. He has made a major change, too. 'I have changed the angle of the blocks; it is angled a little towards the inward track, and this results in me getting off much better,' Animesh said. Wolley also helped him to improve his start. 'He (Wolley) worked on my body mechanics, which resulted in giving me a better, more explosive start,' Animesh added. A post shared by INDIAN ATHLETES | Indian Sports (@ Explaining the importance of the first two strides, Owens said, 'The initial strides set him up for a better race. The first couple of strides aren't always as fast as they can be, but they are better mechanically for setting him up for the race. So, we have worked on those first two strides,' Owens said. Animesh also had other areas to improve, like trying to reduce the tightening of the hamstrings and lower back, which can reduce speed. 'When I came here, Chris assessed me first. He asked me to do multiple exercises in different positions and took note of where the problem lies. His assessment said that my hamstrings and lower back are tight while running, which leads to a poor start and acceleration,' Animesh said. Wolley focused on movement patterns and exercises to loosen him up, like dynamic hamstring leg swings and cat-cow stretch. 'This helps in activating the hamstring dynamically,' Animesh explained. 'I did these exercises continuously for one week. After one week, I could see the difference in my start. There were subtle improvements of 0.1 and 0.05 seconds,' Animesh said. The equipment at the Swiss Olympic centre further helped Animesh to gauge his progress, technically speaking, in both 200m and 100m. 'We were spoiled for choice here in Magglingen with machines like 1080 sprint and Kaiser gears. The 1080 machine helped him with resistance (like running against a pulling force) and assistance (like being pulled forward) running training. It offered detailed feedback on each step to us, leading to further, more insightful improvement,' the sprinter added. Animesh holds the national record in both 100m (10.18s) and 200m (20.32s). But 200m has been the favourite event of the sprinter from Chhattisgarh since the beginning. 'I just do the 100m for explosive starts because if I implement the 100m start in the 200m, it immediately improves my timing,' he quipped. While both 100m and 200m are counted as sprints, the technical difference between the execution of both races is huge. Explaining what the difference is, Animesh said, 'The basic difference is that 100m is all about power while 200m is all about speed and endurance. Since I run 200m, 100m is very easy for me as compared to the 100m sprinters. I can easily maintain my shape and endure the finish. In 200m, the last 20m is extremely difficult.' A post shared by RF Youth Sports (@rfyouthsports) 200m has a very important element of the curve. In 100m, the athletes start and finish in a straight line, while in 200m, they start from a curve and finish in a straight line. 'The bend is extremely crucial in 200m, but as far as I'm concerned, if there is a good start, the bend doesn't matter much. Anyway, I prefer the fourth or fifth lanes because they give me the scope to take advantage of my height and overtake the field,' Animesh said. Coach Owens wants him to keep running in both the sprint events. 'The 100m helps him in getting explosive starts for the 200m while the endurance of the 200m helps him finish better in the 100m race,' Owens said while emphasising the link between the two races. Animesh's next stop is the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, this week. But he has set his sights on bigger targets. 'I have improved from last year, and the season is still in front of me. My target is to qualify for the World Championships and achieve a direct qualification,' Animesh said. 200m NR: 20.40s at Federation Cup, Kochi 4*100m NR: 38.69s at National Open Relay, Chandigarh 200m NR: 20.32s at Asian Athletics Championships, Korea 200m fastest timing: 20.27s at Geneva Athletics 100m NR: 10.18s at Dromia International Sprint, Athens
India Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
How Animesh Kujur trained to be India's fastest sprinter
A tribal youth who trained with army aspirants in north Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur district is now the holder of the national record in the 100m and 200m sprint July 5, history was made when Animesh Kujur, 22, completed the 100m sprint in 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Greece, breaking the previous Indian national record of 10.20 seconds held by Gurindervir from the Oraon tribal community in north Chhattisgarh, also holds the 200m national record of 20.32 seconds, which he clocked in May at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South is also part of the team that holds the national record for the 4x100 m relay. The record-making spree continues with Kujur becoming the first Indian to participate in the Diamond League in Monaco and missing a podium finish in the 200m event by a whisker. Born in Jashpur, the home district of Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Animesh's parents, father Amrit and mother Rina, are both deputy superintendents of police (DSPs).Animesh, like javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, has a military connection. Early in life, his parents decided to enroll Animesh at the Sainik School in Ambikapur, where the focus on physical training besides academics honed Animesh's sporting skills. In school, Animesh also played football besides cross-country running and runs in Animesh's blood. Father Amrit was into athletics before he took up hockey and football. Mother Rina has been a basketball would join army aspirants in runs in Ambikapur as part of his practice during the Covid years. It was more recently that he was picked up by the Reliance Foundation's Athletics High Performance Centre, where he has been training under British coach Martin coach's strategy has been to provide Kujur exposure at international events and also expand his range of movement—key to securing a better performance. Up next are the World University Games at Rhine-Ruhr in Germany, where Animesh participates as a student of Kalinga University, and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in to India Today Magazine- Ends
News18
12-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Animesh Kujur Becomes The First Indian Sprinter In The World To...
Last Updated: Animesh logged an impressive effort of 20.55s in the U23 200m event to finish fourth at the Monaco Diamond League. Indian athlete Animesh Kujur scripted history by becoming the first Indian sprinter to compete at a Diamond League event with his participation in the U23 200m race at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday. Animesh logged an impressive effort of 20.55s to finish fourth at the Meeting Herculis EBS to extend his strong showing this year. The 22-year-old, who trains at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, has had a sensational season—setting multiple national records across events. The sprinter from Chhattisgarh's Ghuitangar village timed 10.18s in 100m, wind-assisted 20.27s and a standalone 20.32s in 200m and a time of 38.69 s in the 4x100m relay since the beginning of the year. Animesh's Recent Form Animesh recently shattered the 100m national record at the Dromia International Sprints Meet in Greece, becoming the first Indian man to dip under 10.20s. He clocked 10.18s, surpassing the previous mark of 10.20s set by fellow Reliance Foundation athlete Gurindervir Singh. Earlier this year, he also clinched bronze in the 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Animesh is currently on a 6-week training-cum-competition exposure trip in Europe with his coach Martin Owens, Head Coach at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, and physiotherapist Jayesh Bane. The team has established their training base at the Swiss Olympic Centre in Magglingen and has competed in high-quality meets in Geneva and Athens so far. Looking ahead, Animesh will compete at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 15th July. Following that, he will represent India at the World University Games in Germany in the 200m and 4x100m events. Monaco Diamond League The Monaco Diamond League, held at the Stade Louis II, is renowned as one of the world's most prestigious athletics meets. This year's event featured nine Paris 2024 Olympic Champions, including sprint legends Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo, along with pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis. Lyles returned to the track in emphatic fashion as he blazed to the finish line in the 200m event to clinch the top spot, while Julian Alfred raced to the top podium place in the 200m event. Lyles registered an effort of 19.88sec to edge out Letsile Tebogo, while Alfred clocked 10.79sec to pip Jacious Sears in the women's category. Dutch athlete Femke Bol clinched the top spot in the women's 400m hurdles with her maiden win at the principality as she edged out American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with a time of 51.95sec. view comments First Published: July 12, 2025, 10:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
India's Animesh Kujur makes history, finishes 4th in Monaco Diamond League under-23 200m event
Fastest man of India, Animesh Kujur made history by becoming the first Indian sprinter to compete at Diamond League. Kujur finished 4th in in Monaco Diamond League under-23 200m event. read more India's Animesh Kujur becomes first Indian sprinter to compete at the Diamond League. Image: @India_AllSports India's fastest man, Animesh Kujur, registered his name in the history books. On Friday, Kujur became the first Indian sprinter to compete at a Diamond League event. He participated in the U23 200m race at the Meeting Herculis EBS. He notched an impressive 20.55s to finish fourth, continuing his breakout 2025 season. India's Animesh Kujur makes history The 22-year-old sprinter, who hails from Ghuitangar village in Chhattisgarh, has had a sensational season—setting national records in the 100m (10.18s), 200m (20.27s (w), 20.32 s) and 4x100m relay (38.69 s). The Monaco Diamond League is one of the world's most prestigious athletics meets, and this year's event at the Stade Louis II featured nine Paris 2024 Olympic Champions, including sprint legends Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo, and pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | Animesh is the national record holder as well Last week, Animesh shattered the 100m national record at the Dromia International Sprints Meet in Greece, becoming the first Indian man to dip under 10.20s. He clocked 10.18s, surpassing the previous mark of 10.20s set by fellow Reliance Foundation athlete Gurindervir Singh. Earlier this year, he also clinched bronze in the 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Animesh is currently on a 6-week training-cum-competition exposure trip in Europe with his coach Martin Owens, Head Coach at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, and physiotherapist Jayesh Bane. The team has set up their training base at the Swiss Olympic Centre in Magglingen and competed in high quality meets in Geneva and Athens so far. Moving forward, Animesh will be in action at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Lucerne, Switzerland on 15th July. He will then be representing India at the World University Games in Germany in the 200m and 4x100m events.
