Business tycoon Anand Mahindra lauds sprint sensation Animesh Kujur, calls him an inspiration

Bhubaneswar: Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra featured and lauded Animesh Kujur, the fastest Indian man, in his Monday Motivation series post on X. Animesh, who trains at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian man ever to qualify for the short sprint event for the World Athletics Championships after winning Gold at the National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships in Chennai last month. Animesh will be representing India at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo between September 13-21.

Mr. Mahindra wrote, “At just 22, Animesh Kujur has sprinted from Ghuitangar village in Chhattisgarh to the national spotlight. The son of police officers, his rise from a remote tribal village to breaking India’s sprint records is nothing short of extraordinary. Yes, his times, though record-shattering here, are still behind Usain Bolt’s world marks and the 2024 Olympic gold run. Sub-10 seconds may be a stretch for now. But Animesh has already put India firmly on the global sprinting radar. If his trajectory continues, he could become the first Indian sprinter to reach the semifinals or finals at the Olympics, which would be a milestone that would boost Indian athletics and fill us with pride.”

Animesh is the current national record holder in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay events and has benefited immensely through the facilities and world class coaching at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre where he trains under Head Coach Martin Owens.

Post link: https://x.com/anandmahindra/status/1964983509300425116?s=46&t=buYhpqb4IdFHV7G71rsQyw