One of them, Gurinderveer Singh, was feted by the Indian Navy after the athlete created history at the 29th National Federation of Athletics Championships in Ranchi by becoming the first Indian to clock 10.09 seconds in the men’s 100 metres.
“India’s fastest man in white,” the Indian Navy said in a post on X as Gurinderveer clocked a sensational time of 10.09 seconds to set a new national record and qualify for the 2026 Asian and Commonwealth Games. Gurinderveer Singh is an officer in the Indian Navy.
“India’s fastest man in white, Gurinderveer Singh, a junior officer of the Indian Navy is writing history by setting a new national record in the 100m race with a sensational timing of 10.09 seconds at the ongoing 29th Federation National Cup Athletics Championships in Ranchi,” the Indian Navy spokesperson tweeted.
“With this remarkable performance, he has also qualified for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games 2026. The Indian Navy salutes the spirit, speed and dedication of our champion runner. Fair winds and quick feet.”
Read also | 10.09 seconds of pure history: Gurinderveer Singh became the fastest Indian ever on the track
Gurinderveer Singh recorded
For the first time ever, an Indian has managed to cover a distance of 100 meters in less than 10.1 seconds.
When Gurinderveer Singh crossed the finish line on Saturday at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, the clock stopped at 10.09 seconds.
Speaking to ANI, Gurinderveer Singh said that he is happy with his performance and hopes to continue achieving strong results in the future. He added that mental strength played a crucial role in his race, helping him stay focused and perform well.
“It feels very good. I hope I can train well and achieve good results in the future. In the last minute, the match was more about mental strength than physical strength. I was able to maintain my mental strength yesterday, and that’s why I was able to run well,” he said.
Read also | “100 meters is not for Indians?” Gurindervir Singh destroys stereotype after historic 10.09 seconds run
Gurindervir breaks Animesh’s records
Animesh Kujur, representing Odisha, arrived at the National Senior Federation competition as the favorite in the men’s 100m after setting the national record of 10.18 seconds last year.
But on the opening day of the meet on Friday, Gorenderfer stunned the field by slicing down 10.17 seconds in the first round of the semifinal.
Just five minutes later, Animesh responded dramatically in the second semi-final, reclaiming the national record with a thrilling time of 10.15 seconds.
A day later, Reliance Foundation representative Gurinderveer had the last laugh when he clocked 10.09 seconds. Animesh took second place, 0.11 seconds behind him. Pranav Gaurav, also from Reliance Foundation, finished third with a time of 10.29 seconds.
In the process, he surpassed the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 44.96 seconds set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). His record of 44.98 seconds also topped the list of the best Asians, beating Ammar Ismail Ibrahim, who recorded 45.16 seconds in April.
Another athlete from Tamil Nadu, Rajesh Ramesh, clocked 45.31 seconds to take second place while Jai Kumar from Uttar Pradesh came in third with a time of 45.47 seconds.
