“Wanted to prove Indian genes are strong”: Punjab's Gurindervir Singh breaks 100m national record

India’s sprinting scene witnessed a historic moment at the Federation Cup Athletics Championships as Gurindervir Singh shattered the men’s 100m national record in a dramatic battle with Odisha sprinter Animesh Kujur.

The drama began on Friday when Gurindervir clocked 10.17 seconds in the semifinal heats, breaking Animesh’s previous national record of 10.18 seconds. For a brief moment, the Punjab sprinter became India’s fastest man.

But the record did not last long.

Animesh responded immediately with a stunning 10.15 second sprint in the next semifinal to reclaim the national record. He also breached the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 10.16 seconds, while Gurindervir missed it by just 0.01 seconds.

However, Saturday’s final produced an even bigger moment.

Gurindervir delivered the race of his life, clocking 10.09 seconds to rewrite the national record once again. With that effort, he became the first Indian athlete to officially run below the 10.10 second barrier in the men’s 100m event.

After his historic run, Gurindervir reflected on the doubts he faced while growing up in Jalandhar. He revealed that several coaches had discouraged him from pursuing the 100m sprint.

“They told me there’s no future in the 100m. I should instead try to run the 400m. They said the 100m was not for Indians. Indians didn’t have the body type for it. But I wanted to prove them wrong. I wanted to prove Indian genes tagde hain,” Gurindervir told Sportstar.

The Hindi word “tagde” roughly translates to “strong” or “powerful.”

The 24 year old also credited his family, coaches, and support system for helping him achieve the milestone.

“There are many people I would like to thank. First of all, my family, my father, who inspires me, and my mother, who motivates me. Then my coaches, and every trainer I have worked with over the years. They believed in me and helped me improve. The Reliance Foundation also played a huge role by providing top class facilities,” he told ANI.

The performances of Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur are a huge positive for Indian athletics ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games cycle.