India’s fastest man Animesh Kujur endured a dramatic and disappointing start to his 2026 season, as he was disqualified for a false start in the men’s 60m final at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Coming in as the headline act, Kujur — the national record holder in 100m (10.18s) and 200m (20.32s) — had spoken confidently before the race, saying, “I will give my all… this will be fun.”
But the race lasted barely seconds for him, with a premature movement off the blocks abruptly ending his medal hopes.
The 60m event was crucial for Kujur’s season, as he aimed to sharpen his start and acceleration phase, an area he has been working on to compete globally.
Instead, the false start highlighted the razor-thin margins of indoor sprinting — where races are often decided in just six seconds.In Kujur’s absence, Gurindervir Singh capitalised on the moment, storming to victory with a new national record (6.60s), underlining the growing depth in Indian sprinting.
While Kujur’s campaign ended in frustration, the meet itself produced history elsewhere. In the men’s pole vault, G Reegan cleared 5.30m to set a new indoor national record, marking one of the biggest highlights of the championships.
For Kujur, the setback is likely just a temporary stumble. As a sprinter who has already rewritten India’s record books and even competed at the World Championships, this indoor outing was meant to be a technical stepping stone rather than a final destination.
But on a night that promised speed, it was a split-second error that defined his story — a reminder that in sprinting, even the smallest mistake can cost everything.
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