Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday heaped praise on record-breaking athletes Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar for their performances at the recently held National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Jharkhand.
Gurindervir became the first Indian to run under 10.10 seconds when he clocked 10.9 in the final to take the record away from Animesh Kujur, who took the record back from Gurindervir in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Vishal TK became the first Indian to run 400m below 45 seconds when he clocked 44.98 seconds, which is the best in Asia this season so far.
In another feat for Indian athletics, Commonwealth Games winner Tejaswin Shankar smashed his own national record and became the first Indian to breach the 8000-point mark in the Decathlon.
Heaping praise on the athletes, Modi congratulated them for their recent performances. "A few days back, the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition was held in Jharkhand's Ranchi... During this, 4 national records were broken in 4 different events. Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar made new records in different categories. I congratulate them wholeheartedly," Modi said in his latest episode of Mann Ki Baat.
Modi speaks about Gurindervir and Animesh
The Federation competition saw the 100m Indian record broken thrice. It began when Gurindervir broke Animesh's record when he set 10.17 seconds in the semifinal 1, going past the previous feat of 10.18s. However, Animesh took back the record in the semifinal 2 when he ran 10.15 seconds. The recorded traded hands for the third time when Gurindervir ran 10.09s in the final.
"Within just 2 days, the national record in the 100-meter race was broken thrice. The 2 athletes who achieved this remarkable feat are Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur. I thought that this time in 'Mann Ki Baat', let us talk to these 2 athletes," Modi said.
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