India’s national record holder Tejas Shirse made a strong statement at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, clocking 13.43 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles heats to comfortably breach the Asian Games qualification standard and advance to the final as the fastest qualifier.
Shirse’s performance was the quickest across all heats, underlining his status as the country’s premier hurdler and one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the event heading into the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
The qualification mark had been one of the key targets for athletes competing at the Inter-State Championships, the final major domestic opportunity to secure standards for international selection. Shirse achieved that goal with authority, producing a controlled run that saw him comfortably progress to the final while also ticking off the Asian Games requirement.
The Maharashtra hurdler has been on a remarkable upward trajectory over the past two seasons. Earlier this year, he rewrote the Indian record books by becoming the first Indian man to run under 13.50 seconds in the 110m hurdles, setting a new national record and establishing himself among Asia’s elite hurdlers.
His rise has been particularly significant for Indian athletics, where the men’s sprint hurdles has historically lacked the depth and international success enjoyed by some of the country’s field events and distance disciplines. Shirse’s breakthrough performances have changed that narrative, giving India a genuine contender on the continental stage.
At just 23 years of age, the hurdler has consistently improved his technique, speed between hurdles and race execution, transforming himself from a promising talent into a national record holder capable of challenging the best athletes in Asia.
The performance in Bhubaneswar also comes at an important stage of the season. With the Asian Games qualification standard secured, Shirse can now focus on building towards the major championships ahead while fine-tuning his form for international competition.
Although the heats were primarily about securing qualification for the final, Shirse’s time served notice to the rest of the field. No athlete ran faster across the preliminary rounds, making him the overwhelming favourite heading into the medal race.
For now, however, the immediate objective has been achieved.
Fastest in the heats. Asian Games qualification secured. And one step closer to another national title.