Gurindervir Singh ran a sensational race to create the 100m national record on a historic second day of the National Senior Federation Competition in Ranchi on Saturday. Gurindervir clocked 10.9 seconds to become the first Indian to run below 10.10 seconds, breaking the previous record held by Animesh Kujur in a gripping contest on the field.
The 100m event will remain a memorable one for the Indian fans as Gurindervir and Animesh battled it out in the middle. The Punjab athlete crossed the finishing line 0.11 second faster than Animesh, while Pranav Gurav took third with a timing of 10.29 seconds.
In the process, Gurindervir, a petty officer in the Indian Navy, breached the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 10.16 seconds set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The 10.
09 seconds clocked by the Punjab athlete is also the second fastest by an Asian so far this season. This is only behind the 10.08 seconds clocked by 19-year-old Japanese sprinter Fukuto Komuro in May.
Bhagwant Mann, Mansukh Mandaviya congratulate Gurindervir
Meanwhile, wishes poured in from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, both of whom took to social media to congratulate Gurindervir. "Heartiest congratulations to our promising athlete Gurinderveer Singh for winning the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race at the Federation Cup in Ranchi. Our brave young son has set a new national record by clocking just 10.09 seconds. Gurindervir has become the first Indian athlete to clock less than 10.10 seconds in the 100-meter race," Mann said on X.
"By breaking a second national record in two days, the son of Punjab has brought glory to the state on the national and international stage. The entire Punjab takes pride in Gurinderveer's historic achievement. Heartiest congratulations and best wishes for the future," the chief minister added.
Meanwhile, Mandaviya also praised Gurindervir. "10.09 seconds! Gurindervir Singh, you have rewritten history. The entire nation is incredibly proud of you," Mandaviya wrote in an X post.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy also praised the athlete for his performance. "Gurindervir Singh, Petty Officer of the #IndianNavy scripts history by setting a NEW NATIONAL RECORD in the 100m sprint with a sensational timing of 10.09 seconds at the ongoing 29th National Federation Cup Athletics Championships at Ranchi," Indian Navy wrote on X.
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