Who is Animesh Kujur? He is the 23-year-old sprinter from Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, who holds India’s 200m national record of 20.32 seconds and runs for Odisha. At the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya he finished fifth in the 200m final, then ran a leg of India’s bronze-medal mixed 4x100m relay team.
Yet he was once preparing for life as a soldier. This page therefore tells his story so far: his records, his 2025 and 2026 seasons race by race, his Asian Games in Nagoya, and the road from a football-playing childhood to India’s fastest 200m runner.
Animesh Kujur at a glance
- Born: 2 June 2003, Jashpur, Chhattisgarh
- Age: 23
- Represents: Odisha
- Events: 200m and 100m
- Personal bests: 100m 10.14, 200m 20.32 (national record)
- Asian Games 2026: 5th in the 200m (20.80); mixed 4x100m relay bronze
- Commonwealth Games 2026: Glasgow result
- Training base: Reliance Foundation athletics programme (since December 2022)
- Off the track: Hobby: Gardening and caring for plants, First Sport: Football — his childhood dream was to become a footballer, Idol: Usain Bolt
Jump to: Who is he 200m record Asian Games Glasgow 2026 Relay bronze 100m Season log Personal bests His story Beyond the track
Who is Animesh Kujur? The short answer
Animesh Kujur is an Indian sprinter who represents Odisha. He was born in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, on 2 June 2003, according to World Athletics, and he runs the 100m and 200m.
In 2025 he reset the national 200m record, reset the 100m record, ran in a Diamond League and became the first Indian male sprinter to qualify for the World Championships.
The 200m national record: 20.32 seconds
Animesh set the 200m national record of 20.32 at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea in 2025.
Two weeks later he ran 20.55 for fourth place in the Under-23 200m at the Monaco Diamond League, behind Australia’s Gout Gout (20.10). He was the first Indian sprinter to compete in a Diamond League meeting.
Asian Games 2026: fifth in the 200m final
Animesh entered the Games in three events: the 100m, the 200m and the mixed 4x100m relay.
In the 200m he won his heat in 21.10 on a wet track, then finished second in his semifinal in 20.81 behind Boonson, who ran an Asian Games record 20.10. In the final on Sunday 27 September, Animesh clocked 20.80 for fifth place, well short of his 20.32 best. Boonson won in 19.88, equalling the Games record.
| Place | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puripol Boonson | Thailand | 19.88 |
| 2 | [[VERIFY]] | [[ ]] | [[ ]] |
| 3 | [[VERIFY]] | [[ ]] | [[ ]] |
| 4 | [[VERIFY]] | [[ ]] | [[ ]] |
| 5 | Animesh Kujur | India | 20.80 |
Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2026
Animesh Kujur delivered a promising performance at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, competing in both the men’s 100m and 200m events. In the 200m, India’s national record holder advanced through the opening round with a time of 20.46 seconds but missed out on a place in the final after finishing sixth in his semi-final in 20.65 seconds, ranking 17th overall.
Animesh Kujur represented India in both the men’s 100m and 200m events at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. In the 200m, India’s national record holder clocked 20.46 seconds in the opening round before finishing sixth in his semi-final with 20.65 seconds, placing 17th overall. The experience provided valuable exposure as he continued to compete against some of the Commonwealth’s leading sprinters.
Asian Games 2026: Mixed 4x100m relay bronze
Two days after the 200m final, Animesh ran the third leg of India’s mixed 4x100m relay team. Gurindervir Singh opened, Sneha Sathyanarayana ran the second leg, and Harita Bhadra anchored. India clocked 41.06 for bronze behind China and Thailand, as we reported.
The 100m: from national record to 10.14
Animesh Kujur made history in Indian sprinting by becoming the first Indian man to break the 10.20-second barrier in the 100m. He initially set the national record with a time of 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Greece in July 2025, improving the previous mark of 10.23 seconds held by Gurindervir Singh. Animesh subsequently lowered his record to 10.15 seconds in the 100m semi-final at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi in May 2026, securing qualification for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, according to PTI.
However, Gurindervir reclaimed the national record by clocking 10.09 seconds in the final in Ranchi, setting a new benchmark for Indian sprinting. Animesh continued his impressive form on the international circuit, clocking 10.14 seconds at the Fast Arms Fast Legs meet in Wetzlar, Germany, on July 10, 2026. The performance made him the second-fastest Indian man ever in the 100m and the fastest Indian to achieve the distance on foreign soil, underlining his growing consistency and competitiveness on the international stage.
Animesh Kujur’s 2025 and 2026 seasons, race by race
Animesh Kujur progressed from breaking India’s 100m and 200m national records to consistently competing at major international meets, setting the 100m record twice in 2026 before Gurindervir Singh raised the benchmark to 10.09 seconds.
| When | Meet | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2025 | Asian Athletics Championships, South Korea | 200m | 20.32, national record |
| 5–6 July 2025 | Dromia International Sprint and Relays, Greece | 100m | 10.18, national record then |
| 11 July 2025 | Monaco Diamond League | U23 200m | 20.55, 4th |
| 18 September 2025 | World Championships Tokyo | 200m, Round 1 | 20.77s, 9th in Heat 3; did not advance |
| 22 May 2026 | Federation Cup, Ranchi | 100m semifinal | 10.15, national record then |
| 25 June 2026 | Inter-State Championships, Bhubaneswar | 200m | 20.74s, won; achieved the Asian Games qualifying standard |
| July 2026 | Glasgow 2026 | 200m | 20.60s, Finished 6th in semi-final heat. |
| 10 July 2026 | Fast Arms Fast Legs, Wetzlar | 100m | 10.14, 2nd |
| 24 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | 100m | 10.38, 7th in semi-final |
| 26 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | 200m heat | 21.10, won |
| 26 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | 200m semifinal | 20.81, 2nd |
| 27 September | Asian Games final, Nagoya | 200m | 20.80, 5th |
| 29 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | Mixed 4x100m relay | 41.06, bronze |
Animesh Kujur Personal Bests
Personal-best marks, dates and venues are cross-checked against Animesh Kujur’s World Athletics profile and the Athletics Federation of India athlete profile. The 100m personal best is 10.14 seconds, while his legal 200m personal best is 20.32 seconds, the Indian national record. His faster 20.27-second 200m performance was wind-assisted and is not recognised as a legal personal best.
| Event | Time | Where | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | 10.14 | Fast Arms Fast Legs, Wetzlar, Germany | 10 July 2026 |
| 200m | 20.32 (NR) | Asian Athletics Championships, South Korea | 31 May 2025 |
| 60m (indoor) | 6.71s | Kalinga Indoor Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India | 25 March 2026 |
His 10.14 is the second-fastest 100m by an Indian, behind Gurindervir Singh’s 10.09. It also means he owns three of the five fastest Indian 100m times.
From Jashpur to Odisha: his story
Animesh was born in Jashpur, in the tribal heartland of Chhattisgarh. Both parents were police officers, so the family moved around. His mother played basketball at the intercollegiate level and his father played football for the state police team. Animesh and his brother Aniket started with football.
He was preparing for life as a soldier before the switch to elite sport.
He joined the Reliance Foundation programme in December 2022 and works with coach Owens. A training camp in Switzerland and movement specialist Chris Woolley helped him improve his starts, historically his weakest area. Eastern Eye reported his Olympic ambition.
Beyond the track
Animesh Kujur grew up dreaming of becoming a footballer before switching to athletics in 2021. He idolises Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt and often celebrates with Bolt’s signature lightning-bolt pose. In 2025, the Odisha government honoured him with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award 2024 in the Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games category, along with a ₹3 lakh cash award.
Future plans
Animesh has set his sights on breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m and running under 20 seconds in the 200m. He has also identified qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a major goal, with ambitions to compete for a medal on the world stage.
Follow Animesh Kujur on Athletics India
His full stats and results are on Animesh Kujur’s athlete profile. Results from the national championships are on our [[EVENT HUB NAME]].