RANCHI: When Gurindervir Singh ran 10.20s in March last year to break the men’s 100m national record, it was almost as if people couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. But over the next 12 months, despite repeated attempts, he couldn’t come close to it again. It was almost as if he wasn’t ready for the crown, and it slipped away from him.
“He wasn’t mentally prepared to break the record. So, when it happened, it came as a surprise. Suddenly, there was a barrage of pressure, and he just wasn’t ready for it,” said James Hillier, athletics director with Reliance Foundation. “He couldn’t really cope with it.”
However, when he broke the national record again on Friday evening with a time of 10.17s, things felt different. This time, he knew there was far more left in him. “I just ran the first 80m,” he said after easing off in the final metres.
He then saw it fall within minutes as Animesh Kujur ran 10.15s. But Gurindervir seemed to know he would have the last laugh and he did exactly that, clocking a blistering 10.09s in Saturday’s final to become the first Indian to go below 10.10s.
So confident was he that he began celebrating even before crossing the finish line. When the clock stopped at 10.09s, it only confirmed what he already believed — he was the fastest Indian again.
It meant a lot as he celebrated wildly, throwing his spikes and roaring into the Ranchi sky, a validation for the work he had put in after being told in his youth to switch events. “The driving force was the need to prove something to myself and others. Growing up, I often heard that Indians don’t have the genetics for sprinting. Even now, people say that. I wanted to change that mindset,” said the sprinter from Punjab.
“Just like Milkha Singh created a path in the 400m and Neeraj Chopra did in javelin, I want to create one in sprinting so others can believe they can do it too.”
While that has been a key motivator, his rivalry with Animesh has also pushed him. After Animesh broke his record last year and again in the heats on Friday, the duel intensified. “I’ve been waiting for a rivalry like this. It pushes both of us and brings more attention to the sport. When he runs well, I feel the need to do better, and when I perform, he steps up too. It’s great for Indian sprinting,” he said.
Even Hillier believes that rivalry helped Gurindervir dip below 10.10s. But despite the battle on track, their bond remains strong. “We’re roommates and like brothers. We are competitors only on the track,” he added.
His journey, though, began much earlier, during annual Diwali cleanups at home when he would polish his father Kamaljeet Singh’s medals and shields. “He played volleyball for Punjab and Punjab Police at the national level. There’s a picture of him smashing the ball, and that really inspired me to become an athlete,” Gurindervir said.
