Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK and Tejaswin Shankar Create History in Indian Athletics
India witnessed a historic athletics weekend in Ranchi as Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK, and Tejaswin Shankar shattered national barriers in the 100m, 400m, and decathlon events.
From 22 to 24 May 2026, the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition at Birsa Munda Stadium became one of the most historic weekends in Indian athletics.
Athletes from across the country had gathered in Ranchi to compete for national medals and qualify for major events like the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But what unfolded surprised everyone, as national records kept falling one after another.
The biggest headline came from 25-year-old Gurindervir Singh of Punjab. On 23 May, he clocked 10.09 seconds in the men’s 100m final, becoming the fastest Indian ever and the first Indian to break the 10.10-second barrier.
The drama began earlier in the day when Gurindervir ran 10.17 seconds in the semi-final to break the national record. Minutes later, Odisha sprinter Animesh Kujur bettered it with 10.15 seconds. But in the final, Gurindervir reclaimed the record with a sensational run. After the race, his handwritten note reading “Task is not finished yet” quickly went viral online.
Another historic performance came from Tamil Nadu’s Vishal TK, who became the first Indian ever to run the 400m in under 45 seconds. His timing of 44.98 seconds broke a barrier Indian athletics had chased for decades. Earlier national milestones in the event had been set by legends like Milkha Singh and Muhammed Anas.
The weekend also saw history in decathlon, where Tejaswin Shankar scored 8,057 points to become the first Indian athlete to cross the elite 8,000-point mark. For many fans, Ranchi felt like the beginning of a new era for Indian athletics.
