NEW DELHI: The final day of the National Indoor Athletics Championships ended with high drama in the men’s 60m race, where Gurindervir Singh won gold and set a new national record.
The race took an unexpected turn after favourite Animesh Kujur was disqualified, changing the outcome completely.
Gurindervir, running his first indoor race, clocked 6.60 seconds to win gold and better the previous national indoor best of 6.67 seconds. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), however, does not maintain an official list of national indoor records.
The spotlight was also on the chaotic start to the race, which saw three false starts.
The third one led to Animesh Kujur’s disqualification, leaving the crowd stunned.
Gurindervir admitted he actually wanted Animesh to compete, saying, “He (Animesh) did a false start. I thought if he runs, I will also run better as there would be tough competition. The crowd was also his. It would have been better if he had run.”
He even tried to convince officials, adding, “So I was saying to the race officials that let him run under protest.”
Despite the disruption, Gurindervir stayed focused. “No, my job was to run my race. I was telling myself that it’s okay if I even run alone,” he said.
Explaining his approach, he said, “It’s a short distance. If someone goes ahead of you, you can’t catch him. No one knows who will win. Even a world champion can lose.” He added that a strong start is key: “Start is important in 60m and then just run fast. I have a good block start.”
Reflecting on his journey, Gurindervir revealed he had struggled mentally last year. “Last year, I also started with a national record. But later, I got demotivated… I became very negative. I had such a bad time. But, I am hoping to be a different Gurindervir this time.”
In another event, Tamil Nadu’s G Reegan won the pole vault with 5.30m but missed out on breaking the overall national record. He said, “I just wanted to execute my plans. I am a bit disappointed as I could not do the national record but I am improving.”
National Indoor Athletics Championships Results
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Men: 60m: Gurindevir Singh (Reliance) 6. 60 seconds, Lalu Prasad Bhoi (Odisha) 6. 65 seconds, Nuzrat (Haryana) 6. 71 seconds.
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400m: Mohammed Sinan (Reliance) 48. 27 seconds, Muhammed Badusha (BSF) 49. 83 seconds, Aryan Ekka (Odisha) 49. 86 seconds.
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1500m: Vinod Singh (Madhya Pradesh) 3:46. 13 seconds, Jagdish (Air Force) 3:50. 11 seconds, Sunil Yadav (Rajasthan) 3:50. 56 seconds.
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Triple jump: Vimal Mukesh (Navy) 15. 41m, Robinson S (Tamil Nadu) 14. 67m, Naresh Rohidas (Odisha) 13. 92m.
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Pole vault: Reegan G (Tamil Nadu) 5. 30m, Rambeer Singh (Army) 4. 85m, Bineesh Jacob (Railway) 4. 55m.
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High jump: Swadhin Kumar Majhi (Odisha) 2. 18m, Sarvesh Anil Kushare (Maharashtra) 2. 15m, Dhairyshil D (Maharashtra) 2. 15m.
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Women: 60m: Harita Bhandra (Maharashtra) 7. 32 seconds, Unnathi Bollanda (Karnataka) 7. 46 seconds, Trisha Nair (Maharashtra) 7. 62 seconds.
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400m: Kumari Saloni Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) 55. 73 seconds, Sukhi Baskey (Odisha) 55. 67 seconds, Unnathi Bollanda (Karnataka) 56. 45 seconds.
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Triple Jump: Mallala Anusha (JSW) 13. 20m, Nimisha Dayma (JSW) 12. 93m, Bhairabi Roy (West Bengal) 12. 81m.
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High jump: Payal Jamod (Gujrat) 1. 71m, Kevinna Ashwine (Tamil Nadu) 1. 71m, Pramilla Rajgar (West Bengal) 1. 68m.
