Meet Animesh Kujur: From Bastar’s conflict zones to India’s fastest man

On May 22, 2026, India's ace sprinter Animesh Kujur set the national men's 100m record in the semi-final round to win a ticket to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The 22-year-old upped the national record to 10.15 seconds in the second semi-final round on day one of the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi.In India, a country where icons rise from all walks of life, Kujur didn't come from a wealthy family. He did not grow up being dropped off at training stadiums in cars and being trained by famous coaches. When you read his story, you realise that he has been working for victory since day one, knowingly or unknowingly.

Meet Animesh Kujur

Animesh Kujur was born to two police officer parents in the conflict-prone Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

In a region surrounded by unrest, he found solace in sports. His mother, a hockey player and his father, an athlete turned footballer, piqued his interest in sports. Every morning at 5 am, he would follow his father to the ground for some training.Studying at the Army School in Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, at a young age, he fell in love with football and would often put up a show in front of his friends. He would impress them by kicking the ball as high as he could.

“It would go up to one floor high, sometimes two… then everyone was happy,” he said. However, after passing out from school, he had to stop playing since he didn't have a team.On the advice of locals, he once participated in a 100m race and found his true calling. While he struggled with track bends initially, he trained himself to improve and won a junior gold two years later.How he met his coach Martin Owens is a hazy event for them both.

"He was a big lad really, and begged me to take him into the Reliance Foundation HPC (High Performance Centre)," Owens chimed in with a joke. "There's a funny story. He says I begged him to join, but I say he begged me. So one of us has a better memory," Owens added.It was in November 2022 that Owens took Kujur under his wings. He told the teenagers endless tales of American Jesse Owens and legendary coach Budd Winter who trained many a famous sprinter.

Training the sprinter

“When I first came here,” Kujur said of the facility in Bhubaneswar, “I said, ‘Wow, this is such a good facility’. Then, I met the coach and he welcomed me. After that, I got my workout schedule.” He began with 300m runs that were repeated three to four times. Since he found the workout to be scary, he would often reach the track before others and complete it alone. A man who earlier ate a stomach full of rice, dal and sabji - now worked with nutritionists to eat healthy and in moderation.Under Owens, Kujur quickly proved his talent by winning the U-23 200m at his first age-group championship. At the 2025 Asian Athletic Championships, he set a new national record of 20.32 seconds and took home a bronze medal. In July 2025, he ran 10.18s at the Dromia International Sprints Meet in Greece, becoming the first Indian male sprinter ever to go sub-10.20 seconds in the 100m. He was also the first Indian sprinter to compete in a Diamond League event.

He participated in the U23 200m race at the Meeting Herculis EBS and finished fourth with an impressive timing of 20.55s.In August 2025, he qualified for the World Athletics Championship after clocking a record-breaking 20.63 seconds in the 200m event at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Chennai. Thus, he became the first-ever Indian male sprinter to qualify for the event.2026 has also been a fantastic year for Kujur, who scored a double gold in 100m and 200m events at the Indian Athletics Series.

In May, he clinched the 200m gold title at the Saudi Athletics Grand Prix. He won a bronze as part of the relay team at the Asian Relay Championships in China in June. In the same month, he secured a silver medal in the men's 200m with a 20.47s performance.Currently, he is participating in the National Inter-State Athletic Championships which will be the selection trial for the Asian Games.With his undeterred hard work and zeal to be the 'fastest man' of India, Animesh Kujur's journey has inspired many to dream big, no matter what.