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Time of India
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Tendency in India to measure progress in medals. But you can't just turn a switch
Earlier this month, 22-year-old Animesh Kujur became India's fastest man. A key force behind his success is Martin Owens , the coach who has helped shape Kujur's journey. Speaking to Shruti Sonal during a hectic Swiss tour, Owens discusses the future of desi sprinters, prep for the Olympics bids, and more You've watched Kujur go from promising talent to record-breaker. How did your coach-athlete relationship begin? I first met him at an event in Chhattisgarh in 2022. He'd just won the 200m race with a timing of 21.18 seconds. There are two sides to this story. My story is that he begged me to take him into the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre where I am head coach. His version is that I begged him to join it. One of us does not have a very good memory. When he joined, I noticed that he was a big physical specimen. When he moved, he was fast. But he couldn't squat properly, his mobility was poor. However, he had a good work ethic, and he just got better and better. The following year, he broke the 21-second mark and became the second-fastest 200m sprinter in India. Since then, he has dominated Indian sprinting. You've spoken about how his body wasn't letting him run really fast. What changed? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Health: the best shoes to walk and stand all day Ultra-Comfortable Shoes Undo We had to really work on his starts. Thankfully, I had a team around me full of physios and sports scientists, and we all had our own theories on what was wrong with his starts and how he could work on it. It was probably a combination of everything: some of it stemming from his confidence issues, the rest from his learned behaviour. We just worked on it and his top-end speed got better. Then we realised that when he hit the timing gates at certain parts in the race, he could hold his own against a world-class field. Hence, we began providing him more global exposure. We've been at the Swiss Olympic centre in Magglingen and they have been really generous with their ideas, equipment and access. We've seen the results of that in the 10.18 he clocked recently in the 100m race at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays meet in Greece. But I don't think that's a fair reflection of how fast he can run. Do you think he's anywhere close to breaking the 10-second mark? No, 0.18 isn't close but we're getting there. Breaking records depends on a number of factors. You need to be in shape, you need a good track, good weather conditions and the right competitors. But you cannot expect to break the record every time you run out on the track. His journey is just starting, really. There's only been two years of serious training. For now, we're aiming for the Bronze Continental Tour that's held in our home stadium in Bhubaneswar in Aug. And then we've got the World Tokyo Championships in Sept. Qualifying for that is our main target. You were previously a running coach in England. How different are the cultures around sport in the two countries, and what was the biggest challenge after coming to India? The first challenge was the traffic and noise (laughs). I love Indian food, but it made me put on quite a few pounds, and I am still struggling with that. In terms of the sporting culture, people do athletics in the UK as a hobby, and as a sport. In India, it's a totally different thing. Most people tend to do it because they want a job. There are very few who want to do it because they want to be better at the sport and do the best they can. That's understandable. If you can get a better job by running faster, jumping further, jumping higher, throwing further, then I'm all for it. But it has led to a culture that is wrapped around support. In the UK, you're pretty dependent on your parents driving you around and taking you to meet somebody, paying for your entry to the competition, along with your hotel and in India, somebody else has to pick up that tab. That might be private players like Reliance, the govt, or another institution. You've called Odisha India's best-kept sporting secret. Is that where the next big stars will come from? Odisha has been the standout state for providing sporting support, but as the push goes for the 2036 Olympics, more states are getting involved. They're putting in the infrastructure, and looking for corporate partners. It's a bit like 2012 in the UK, where there was a big push to get everybody involved in sport and bring those medals for the London Olympics. I hope there's a similar push in India with an eye on 2036. And you've got to start now. Those 11 years will go by very, very quickly. We just saw packed stadiums at the Neeraj Chopra Classic. Is that an encouraging sign for Indian athletics? I think when it's possible to do the same without a superstar like Neeraj there, then I will be happy. What we should be working towards in India is a growth in audiences not driven by superstars, but by a passion for the sport. But it is encouraging, of course. There's a desperate need for heroes like Neeraj. Without him, athletics wouldn't exist at the standard it is in India. His Olympics gold changed Indian athletics forever. Apart from Kujur, Mohammed Afsal and Gulveer Singh have been making waves. What will it take to find a sprint star like Neeraj? Patience, and, unfortunately, there's not much of that going around in India. There's a tendency here to measure this progress in medals. There has got to be understanding that it's a long process. You don't just turn a switch and get a whole load of world-class athletes. There are no shortcuts. It's hard work, good planning, commitment and pushing in the right direction. It's a slow burn and there are unrealistic expectations placed on emerging athletes. India has talent but they need better opportunities to express themselves at a young age through grassroots competitions.
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
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Swiss meet: Animesh Kujur finishes ninth overall in 200m
Animesh Kujur (Image TOI Photo) Kolkata : After making his debut at Diamond League in Monaco in 200m in the U23 category last week, Animesh Kujur had his eyes on qualifying for World Championships to be held in Tokyo in September. However, he couldn't give his best at Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern at Stadion Allmend in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Tuesday night. Running in Heat A, the 21-year-old finished sixth with a timing of 20.79 seconds. It was quite a below-par show considering he ran 20.55 seconds in Monaco and has a PB of 20.32 seconds. As a result, overall he finished ninth in the standings. Manikanta Hoblidhar also competed in another heat and finished second. His time though was just 21.36 seconds as a result of which he was 16th overall. Earlier in the day, Kujur, along with four other Indians, competed in the 100m and all of them ran in the Heat C. Kujur did well to cross the finish line in second place clocking 10.28 seconds — his third-best personal time — that also helped him finish eighth overall. As for the four other Indians, Gurindervir Singh, who has a PB of 10.20 seconds and briefly held the 100m NR, came fourth in the heats with a timing of 10.54 seconds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Hoblidhar, also a former 100m NR holder, followed suit with a time of 10.61 seconds. Odisha's DM Jayram and Lalu Prasad Bhoi were the next to cross the line. Jayram ran a PB of 10.65 seconds while Lalu was just 0.02 seconds slower. Among the other Indians competing in the tournament, Moumita Mondal came seventh in long jump with a best effort of 6.34m. Shaili Singh, who has PB of 6.76m, also competed but failed to impress as she finished a lowly 10th with a jump of 6.13m. Poll What do you think Animesh Kujur needs to improve to qualify for the World Championships? Better training regimen More competitive experience Moumita also took part in the 100m hurdles and finished 13th overall with a timing of 13.48 seconds. She however did cross the finish line in first place in her heats. In men's javelin throw Sahil Silwal came seventh with a best effort of 77.75m. Meanwhile, in the women's section Karishma Sanil, who won gold in the UAE Athletics Women's Gala at Dubai Police Club Stadium earlier this year, was 12th with a best throw of 53.93m — which was also her last throw of the night. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
India Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Meet Animesh Kujur: India's fastest man, breaking one barrier at a time
"I will qualify for the World Athletics Championships, stop worrying!" Animesh Kujur poked his coach Martin Owens, while speaking in a select round table from the Monaco Diamond he does, Kujur, 22, will make history as India's first-ever men's representative in the showpiece 100 and 200m sprint at the World Athletics Championships. Born in rural Chhattisgarh (Ghuitangar village), Kujur is rewriting the history of Indian track and field. He is already the fastest man in India, having run the 100m sprint in 10.18 seconds, breaking the sub-10.20 barrier previously held by Gurindervir just 22, standing at 6ft 2in tall, Kujur is making big strides. In July, he got a taste of his first Diamond League event, where he went shoulder to shoulder against Australian prodigy Gout Gout, who is already turning heads in the athletics of World Stage at Monaco In the Monaco Diamond League, Kujur competed in the U-23 200m event, becoming India's first ever participant in the sprint competition. Rather than be overwhelmed by the grand stage, he propelled himself in the hunt for the podium against some of the biggest up-and-coming talents in the by the attention and undeterred by the competition, Kujur ran hard (20.55), but missed the podium by only one-tenth of a second, behind South Africa's Jack Naeem (20.42 seconds).This timing is significant. India has rarely been seen in world-class sprinting events like the 100m or 200m, but Kujur is changing that perception. Hailing from the eastern border of Chhattisgarh, he is ticking off records and bringing India into the conversation. INDIA TODAY PHOTO While a direct qualification to the World Championships (10.00 in 100m, 20.16 in 200m) seems unlikely, Kujur is poised to qualify through the ranking system. Still, he remains determined to secure a direct qualification, a testament to the fire within him."Animesh's not motivated by medals or records, those come as side effects. He wants to improve for himself. And that's why coming to the Grand Prix was special, to see what top athletes do differently, lifestyle choices, sacrifices. It's not just running and lifting weights, it's missing out on things like ice cream, weddings, etc," Kujur's coach Owens, who accompanied him for the interview, chimed in from the believes that coming to the Diamond League, getting to be around Olympic Champions like Noah Lyles (100m) and Letsile Tebogo (200m) was a step in the right direction for the young athlete.' ' - ' .Animesh Kujur gearing up for Diamond League 2025, Monaco.#RFSports #Letsplay #AnimeshKujur RelianceFoundationSports (@RFYouthSports) July 11, 2025"I saw Lyles and Tebogo, took photos with them, and observed their warm-up routines. I learned so much to apply to my own training. The crowd was packed, the adrenaline was high: I just wanted to run," Kujur said Kujur admitted he was not satisfied with his Monaco performance. His 20.55 was slower than his personal best of 20.32 said that, in athletics, times can be deceptive. The race was run into a strong headwind (-1.9m/s), which slowed down all competitors. Plus, Monaco was Kujur's third race in Europe this season, and fatigue took its toll."We've already done three competitions in Europe and have three more ahead. We need to get back to basics," Owens said, noting Kujur's fitness lagged behind fresher Beginning of Animesh KujurBefore he was rubbing shoulders with Olympic champions, Kujur was far from the world of professional athletics. In fact, during the Covid-19 lockdown, he wasn't even sprinting seriously. A footballer in his early days, he would occasionally run with army personnel near his village of Ghuitangar - a place with no track, no coaching, and no real blueprint for producing elite athletes. It was the last place anyone expected a generational sprinting talent to as they say, all great odysseys begin with a single step. For Kujur, it was a simple suggestion: "Why don't you run in a local race?"Once he ran his first race, something clicked. The adrenaline rush changed his outlook story gets a little hazy here. "He was a big lad really, and begged me to take him into the Reliance Foundation HPC (High Performance Centre)," Owens chimed in with a joke."There's a funny story. He says I begged him to join, but I say he begged me. So one of us has a better memory," Owens said, just about managing to get his words out, through a bellyful of Owens, Kujur quickly proved his talent by winning the U-23 200m at his first age-group championship. His massive frame led some to suspect age fraud, but his raw speed was undeniable."He was raw, very raw, so we thought we could do something with him. Once he joined HPC, we realised he couldn't move. He had no range of movement. So we did a lot of mobility work and loosened him up," Owens did he persist with Animesh, despite a late start to his sprinting journey? Owens says it was Animesh's humility that stood out. And that, it still other quality of his is him as a young man, he's incredibly polite, incredibly careful, and incredibly caring for other people. And he is driven by the best he can be," Owens One Barrier at a TimeThat drive to be the best he can be shows in his to Owens, the race that put Animesh in the limelight (2025 National Games), where he clocked a 10.28, was an awful run."He was in phenomenal shape at National Games. After a slow start, he just ran through the field and smashed the national record," Owens then, Kujur shaved off 0.10 seconds at the Dromia Meet in Greece, becoming the fastest Indian qualify for the World Championships, Animesh needs a 10-second flat run in the 100m and 20.16 in the close is he? INDIA TODAY PHOTO With the right person, in the right conditions, at the right time? Owens believes that any one of the top five Indian sprinters can reach that mark at the moment, especially be the happiest man in India when anyone breaks 10 seconds, so people stop asking me 'when is it going to happen?' Have patience and trust in the process. It will happen with the right person, the right race, right conditions, might be Animesh or someone else. Then the Indian press can go mad!" Owens adds to that. He not only adds, but stresses it."In the National Games, I was in shape to run below 10-flat, but because of my start, I couldn't. Coach said it will take time; just keep faith. We will make you run below 10 in 100 and 20-below in 200. Just trust the process," he the BarThe performance data from the Monaco Diamond League shows that Animesh was on par with the generational Gout Gout between the 40-130m mark. In the other sections, Gout Gout was a little bit faster, maybe just by a tenth here and is confident targeted training will make Kujur faster across every segment in the 200m race."We want every section faster. Even the sections where Animesh matched Gout Gout, we want him faster. We'll work on weaknesses and raise strengths," Owens that was perhaps the whole point of the exposure in the Monaco Diamond: to see where Animesh stood among the rising talents in the world. INDIA TODAY PHOTO Animesh has a busy season ahead. On July 15, he finished second at a silver standard meet in Luzern, clocking 10.28 seconds in the 100m sprint, well ahead of India's next best, Gurindervir Singh (10.54). Next, he will train in Bochum, Germany, before returning to India for more meets, all leading up to the World fact that neither the sprinter nor the coach were happy with Monaco, and are taking on one competition after another, speaks volumes about India's rising aspirations in unheard of, India now boasts several sprinters targeting the elusive sub-10 second mark, with Kujur leading the he pushes through a packed season, one wonders what shift that one gold medal in Tokyo made to the aspirations of Indian athletics. Now, sprinters like Kujur are daring to dream bigger, running not just against time, but toward a future where Indian names are no longer absent from sprinting's grandest when that sub-10 barrier finally falls, it won't just be a record broken. It'll put India on the map of world track and field events. And whether it's Kujur who crosses that line first, or someone following in his slipstream, it will be a moment born from belief, built on sacrifice, and carried by the rhythm of a country learning to sprint.- EndsYou May Also Like
The Print
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Print
100m in just 10.18 secs & fiery records. With military grit, 3 Indian athletes are breaking barriers
Kujur's journey began during the lockdown, when he joined army aspirants on morning jogs. His time at a Sainik School further shaped his talent and discipline. For Afsal, the Indian Air Force has played a pivotal role. Now a Junior Warrant Officer, he has benefited from the IAF's athlete-friendly policies, which offer flexibility in training while maintaining service commitments. Gulveer Singh, a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, has seen his military career rise alongside his athletic one. Indian athletics is buzzing with these three standout performances, but there's more tying them together—the discipline of the Indian armed forces. With focused training abroad and a relentless drive, they're lighting up Indian track and field. New Delhi: On 5 July, 22-year-old sprinter Animesh Kujur from Chhattisgarh became India's fastest man, clocking 10.18 seconds in the 100m at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Greece. In Poland the same day, 29-year-old middle-distance runner Mohammed Afsal from Kerala was making history by becoming the first Indian to break the 1:45 barrier in the 800m, clocking a historic 1:44.93 at the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiego. Meanwhile, 26-year-old long-distance runner Gulveer Singh from Uttar Pradesh has continued his streak of record-breaking runs, most recently stopping the clock at 27:00.22 in the 10,000m at The Ten 2025 meet in California. 'I was promoted to havaldar after I won the National Games gold. And after the Asian Games bronze, I was promoted once again to Naib Subedar,' he told Sportstar. 'Normally, people take 20 years to reach that rank—but I did it in just six.' Kujur is already the national record holder in the 200m with a 20.32-second run that earned him bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships. Afsal, too, didn't just break new ground in Poland—he bettered his own previous best and eclipsed the long-standing national record of 1:45.65 set by Jinson Johnson in 2018. Singh has steadily built his reputation as one of Asia's top distance runners, now holding national records in the 3,000m, 5,000m, and 10,000m. ThePrint spoke to the coaches and support teams behind these record-breaking athletes to understand what's driving this new wave of Indian track success, what their training is like, where the breakthroughs began, and how the discipline and structure of their military connections shaped their journeys to the top. Animesh Kujur: From Maoist heartland to national glory The story of Animesh Kujur reads like something out of a movie script—a boy from the Maoist-affected Bastar region who found his calling during lockdown jogs alongside army aspirants. Born 2 June 2003, in Ambikapur, Kujur's athletic journey began in the most unlikely circumstances. Growing up in the police staff quarters in Bastar, sport was embedded in his family DNA. His father Amrit Kujur was a deputy superintendent of police, who had been an athlete before switching to football. His mother played hockey. The Kujurs enrolled their son in Sainik School Ambikapur, nearly 650 km from home, seeking to nurture his athletic abilities in a disciplined environment. His transformation under British coach Martin Owens at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre has been nothing short of remarkable. When Owens first saw Kujur, the technical deficiencies were glaring. 'He couldn't squat. He couldn't squat. He would fall over. He always had this potential to run really fast. It's just his body wasn't letting him,' Owens told ThePrint. The coach's assessment was brutally honest but optimistic. 'We worked on a lot of range of movement stuff. Coordination has paid off. We've worked with some of the guys at the Swiss Olympic Centre to improve some of his movement patterns. We've utilised that to give him a better start.' When Kujur clocked 10.18 seconds in Greece, breaking Gurindervir Singh's national record of 10.20 seconds, even his coach felt vindicated. 'I think he's been in shape to run this since February.' 'He didn't realise he'd broken it. The stadium clock went 10.20. And then they announced in Greek,' he said laughing. 'And his Greek's not very good!' 'So, we picked up that he'd run 10.18. And then we were worried about the wind. And then we saw the wind gauge. And they announced that it was 0.5. So, he was just walking back, looking pretty normal. And I'm shouting, 'You've broken the national record! You've broken the national record!' And he's going, 'What? 10.18? It's 10.18?' with a mix of shock and excitement. So, yeah. Yeah, we're just working on improving. All we're trying to do is improve all the time.' Kujur made history at Diamond League in Monaco on Friday, becoming the first Indian sprinter to compete in the event. He missed the podium by just 0.13 seconds, finishing fourth in the men's U23 200m final. The Indian clocked 20.55 seconds, falling just short of his personal best of 20.32. 'It's often a big leap up. I mean, there's going to be a 15,000-plus crowd there. And, you know, Noah Lyles and I think seven Olympic champions competing. So, I really just want him to see how he handles it. It's a great opportunity for him to mix with the best in the world and just see what they're doing. And, you know, prove that he's on the road to being that good,' the coach said. The previous 100m national record had changed hands multiple times in recent years. Amiya Kumar Mallick had held it at 10.26 seconds since 2016, before Amlan Borgohain marginally improved it to 10.25 seconds in 2022. Manikanta Hoblidhar bettered it at 10.23 seconds in 2023, before Gurindervir Singh clocked 10.20 seconds in March. The 200m national record was also broken by Kujur this year. He clocked 20.32 seconds at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, where he won a bronze medal. Kujur had previously broken the national record just over a month ago with a time of 20.40 seconds at the Federation Cup. 'He's just becoming more disciplined, and that's the advantage of coming on these European exposure trips…,' said Owens. 'He's driven to be the first Animesh Kujur, he's not chasing records. He just wants to be the best he can be, and that's what gives him that mental strength.' Also Read: White House to host UFC next yr, courtesy Trump's ties to league dating back to Taj Mahal casino days Mohammad Afsal: The hybrid Kerala's sporting culture has provided the perfect launching pad for Afsal's career. 'Kerala has a very good athletic ecosystem now. It's actually kind of diminished. Those years when he was in school, the government used to support athletes, athletics is a big sport in Kerala because most of the athletic stars are from there,' said coach Ajith Markose. Afsal's dominance began early, right from the school level. 'He was winning all the medals, and I think he won five gold medals at a single meet. He broke the 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m record,' his coach added. His breakthrough came in 2013 when he won gold at the inaugural Asian School Track and Field Championships in Malaysia, marking his entry into international competition. Afsal joined the Reliance Foundation programme in 2021, where he has been training under Markose. The coach revealed the methodical approach behind Afsal's breakthrough: 'We internally called it Indian Reliance Foundation 'Project 144' to make an Indian run below 1:45.' The technical approach was crucial. 'Afsal is kind of hybrid, like his speed is good, his endurance is good, so his training is also mostly based on those two, I mean, his strength and also we make sure that his weaknesses are also addressed and not neglected,' Markose explained. Climate played a significant role in the breakthrough. 'In India, it's slightly difficult because climate conditions are not very suitable, and also in most of the championships, Indians are pressured to run for medals, so generally that won't cause a fast race,' the coach noted. 'In Europe, generally the temperature and humidity are lower, so that's a good thing for middle- and long-distance runners.' Afsal's record-breaking 1:44.93 run broke Johnson's record of 1:45.65, which had itself broken the legendary Sriram Singh's 42-year-old record of 1:45.77 from the 1976 Olympics. Gulveer Singh: Farmer's son who struck gold Gulveer Singh's transformation from a farmer's son running on village ridges to becoming Asia's premier distance runner has been remarkable. Born in Sirsa village in Aligarh district, Singh's journey began in the most humble circumstances. His family background was quintessentially rural Indian. Coach Scott Simmons, who has guided Singh's recent success, first saw Singh training in Bengaluru. He was immediately confident about his potential. 'When first seeing him train in Bangalore and learning about his past training, I was confident that he would breach many Indian national records.' The technical revolution in Singh's training was comprehensive. 'Indian long-distance training, up until this point, was very non-specific and lacked global aerobic development. Long distance runners did not perform long runs, progressive weekly volumes nor specific intervals or tempo runs. These are the main changes we implemented,' Simmons said. The exposure to international training environments proved crucial. 'AFI's (Athletics Federation of India) support on our Colorado Springs training camp not only provided him a large group of world class training partners, like two-time US Olympic 5000m medalist Paul Chelimo, but also international competition opportunities.' Singh's indoor achievements have been particularly impressive. At the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge in February, he clocked 12:59.77 in the 5000m, becoming the first Indian to break 13 minutes indoors and setting a new Asian record. The national record for 3000m is also held by Singh. He finished with a time of 7:38.26 in Boston earlier this year. This new record surpasses the previous record of 7:49.47 set by Surendra Singh in 2008, and bettered India's outdoor 3,000m record of 7:50.31, also held by Surendra Singh since 2008. Singh's recent achievements include winning India's first gold at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in the 10,000m, where he clocked 28:38.63. This victory not only earned India its first gold at the championships but also placed Singh alongside Indian legends Hari Chand (1975) and G Lakshmanan (2017), who previously won gold in this event. He won another gold at the same meet in the 5000m category, where he clocked 13:24.77, making it the national record. Gulveer also broke his own 10,000m national record at The Ten competition in the US, clocking 27:00.22. He previously held the record at 27:14.88, set in Japan last year 'His discipline is exceptional, and, I'm sure, this is in part because of his Indian Army service,' notes his coach. The comparison with US Army athletes is particularly revealing. 'I have long coached US Army soldiers who have repeatedly qualified to represent Team USA at the Olympics and World Championships. Their Army training, I feel, has been an important part of their success too,' Simmons said. Goals set The ultimate ambition of all three athletes extends far beyond national records. Afsal's Coach Markose is explicit about the long-term vision: 'Our ultimate goal is to make an Indian run in an Olympics or World Championship Final in the middle and long distance. For Afsal, he is actually very close to that right now but he has to go a long way given how competitive it is in the Olympics and World Championships to get into the finals.' The progression required is steep. 'Most of the times like final time might be slower than the heats and semi time. So, we have to work on a lot of things to get into that and that's our ultimate aim and for Afsal to sleep like a baby at night, he also has to run to be one of the finalists in an Olympics or World Championship before that.' For Singh, the goals are similarly ambitious. 'Our goals, moving forward, are to be competitive on the world stage. He has already established himself as one of the top Asian-born long-distance runners, but we feel that he can qualify and be competitive for medals at the World Championships and Olympics, despite the high level,' his coach explained. 'We have improved his overall specific endurance and his finishing speed, but we need to continue this progression in order to compete for medals.' Animesh Kujur's targets are equally lofty. His coach believes there's more to come. 'We're just working on improving. That's all. All we're trying to do is improve all the time. Our primary aim is to prepare and to qualify for the world championships. That's our primary goal.' 'I must have seen recently that Indians started doing well and especially in women's programmes. Animesh recently did 10.18, we are hoping he is going to be one of the first Indians to run below 10 in 100m and that's going to be historic,' noted coach Markose. The systematic approach is yielding results. 'It's like there is no lack of talent in India. It shows what structured professional programmes can bring up.… I think we are very happy that we, as Reliance Foundation, are pioneering this,' said Martin Owens. The infrastructure development supporting these athletes represents a significant investment in India's sporting future. The Reliance Foundation's comprehensive ecosystem, Odisha's world-class facilities, and the defence forces' systematic support structure have created an environment where athletic excellence can flourish. 'This is made possible by Reliance and the Odisha government. They've got to be credited with their inputs on these performances. Everything that happens in Bhubaneswar… Access to the best championships. Everything we do. Their investment, I hope, is paying off,' acknowledged coach Owens. 'These are exciting times and exciting times are ahead.' The AFI has played a major role in uplifting Indian athletes by implementing a comprehensive, long-term development plan that identifies and nurtures talent from the grassroots to the elite level. With appropriate training guidelines, scientific coaching, and continuous support from expert coaches including foreign specialists, AFI ensures athletes receive world-class training, psychological support, and exposure to top-level competition, helping them excel nationally and globally. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: How bringing OCI players back in the game could help Indian football find the net
