Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed India’s emerging athletics stars for rewriting the record books at the 29th National Federation of Senior Athletics Cup 2026 in Ranchi, terming their achievements as a reflection of the country’s growing sporting prowess.
In his speech at the 134th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Modi highlighted four national records broken during the competition and congratulated the athletes responsible for the historic performances.
“Just a few days ago, the National Senior Athletics Federation competition was held in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Nearly 800 athletes from across the country participated in it. During this, four national records were broken in four different events. Gurinderveer Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar set new records in different categories. First of all, I congratulate them all,” PM Modi said.
Gurinderveer Singh’s victory
Among the distinguished performers was runner Gurinderveer Singh, who became the first Indian man to run 100 meters in less than 10.10 seconds. The 25-year-old clocked a sensational time of 10.09 seconds in the final to set a new national record.
This achievement culminated in a dramatic contest in which the national record was changed several times. Gurindervir had initially run 10.17 seconds in the semifinals before Animesh Kujur edged him out by 10.15 seconds in the following heat. Gorenderfer responded in emphatic fashion in the final, restoring the record and ensuring qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. His 10.09 second effort also ranked among the fastest performances in Asia this season.
Vishal breaks records
Another historic moment came in the men’s 400 metres, where Vishal Thenarasu Kayalvezi became the first Indian athlete to break the 45-second barrier. Vishal achieved victory in a time of 44.98 seconds, setting a new national record and climbing to the top of the Asia Seasonal Rankings. His historic run added a new chapter to India’s rich 400m tradition and sparked emotional celebrations from his family and coaching team.
Tejaswin Shankar sets new boundaries
In the decathlon, Tejaswin Shankar continued his remarkable transformation from high jump specialist to all-round athlete by scoring 8,057 points and becoming the first Indian to cross the 8,000-point mark. This performance improved his national record and set personal bests in four events, confirming his rapid rise in the field.
Kuldeep Kumar and Dev Meena rewrite the records
The men’s pole vault competition also produced history as Kuldeep Kumar and Dev Meena together rewrote the national record. The duo cleared a distance of 5.45m at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi after a tough contest that saw the lead change hands several times.
Dave first surpassed Kuldeep’s previous national record of 5.41m with a clear of 5.42m. Kuldeep responded immediately with a successful attempt at 5.45 metres, before Dave matched the height to ensure both athletes secured the joint national record.
The Federation Cup witnessed the participation of nearly 800 athletes, and emerged as one of the most successful editions of the competition.
