India’s national record holder Animesh Kujur continued his impressive run of form by claiming the silver medal in the men’s 200m at the New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026, clocking a strong 20.47 seconds.
The race was headlined by Thailand’s sprint sensation Puripol Boonson, who produced a sensational performance to win gold in 20.03 seconds. Boonson not only shattered the championship record but also recorded a lifetime best, moving up to become the third-fastest Asian man in history over the 200m distance.
Interestingly, Animesh and Boonson did not compete in the same final, with the two athletes racing in separate sections of the event. While Kujur’s 20.47s was enough to secure silver overall, the absence of direct competition against one of Asia’s fastest sprinters may have deprived him of an opportunity to push for an even quicker time.
The result nevertheless marks another encouraging outing for Kujur, who has emerged as one of India’s brightest sprinting talents in recent years. The Odisha sprinter has consistently lowered national benchmarks and continues to establish himself among Asia’s elite short-distance runners.
With Boonson delivering a historic performance and Kujur showing strong form, the competition offered a glimpse of the rising standards in Asian sprinting. Had the pair lined up in the same race, it could have produced one of the most exciting sprint contests of the season—and perhaps even given Kujur a chance to improve further on his own national record.