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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded India's emerging athletics stars for rewriting the record books at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Cup 2026 in Ranchi, describing their achievements as a reflection of the country's growing sporting prowess.
Addressing the 134th episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi highlighted four national records that were broken during the competition and congratulated the athletes responsible for the landmark performances. "Just a few days ago, the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition was held in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Nearly 800 athletes participated in it from all over the country. During this, four national records were broken in four different events. Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar set new records in different categories. First of all, I congratulate all of them," PM Modi said. Among the standout performers was sprinter Gurindervir Singh, who became the first Indian man to run the 100 metres in under 10.10 seconds. The 25-year-old clocked a sensational 10.09 seconds in the final to establish a new national record. The achievement capped a dramatic contest in which the national record changed hands multiple times. Gurindervir had initially run 10.17 seconds in the semifinals before Animesh Kujur bettered it with 10.15 seconds in the following heat. Gurindervir responded in emphatic fashion in the final, reclaiming the record and securing qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. His 10.09-second effort also ranked among Asia's fastest performances this season. Another historic moment came in the men's 400 metres, where Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi became the first Indian athlete to break the 45-second barrier. Vishal stormed to victory in 44.98 seconds, setting a new national record and climbing to the top of Asia's seasonal rankings. His landmark run added a new chapter to India's rich 400m tradition and drew emotional celebrations from his family and coaching team. In the decathlon, Tejaswin Shankar continued his remarkable transition from high jump specialist to all-round athlete by scoring 8,057 points and becoming the first Indian to cross the 8,000-point mark. The performance improved his own national record and featured personal bests in four events, underlining his rapid rise in the discipline. The men's pole vault competition also produced history as Kuldeep Kumar and Dev Meena jointly rewrote the national record. The duo cleared 5.45 metres at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi after an intense contest that saw the lead change hands several times. Dev first surpassed Kuldeep's previous national record of 5.41m by clearing 5.42m. Kuldeep immediately responded with a successful attempt at 5.45m, before Dev matched the height to ensure both athletes finished as joint national record holders. The Federation Cup witnessed participation from nearly 800 athletes and emerged as one of the most successful editions of the competition. (ANI)
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