Animesh Kujur showcased his dominance in the sprint events at the Indian Grand Prix 2, held at the LNCPE Athletics Stadium in Trivandrum, Kerala on May 17, 2025. Kujur, a prominent name in Indian athletics, stormed to victory in both the 100m and 200m races, clocking impressive times of 10.31 seconds and 20.55 seconds, respectively.
With several top athletes skipping the event due to a packed international schedule, the Indian Grand Prix 2 provided a platform for emerging and returning stars to shine. Kujur, a regular in India's 4x100m relay team, was the main attraction in the sprint events. His personal best in the 200m is 20.74s, making him the fastest on paper in both sprint distances.
In the men's 400m, Rajesh Ramesh of Tamil Nadu emerged victorious with a time of 45.77s, marking a strong comeback from injury. His performance was the first sub-46-second run by an Indian this season. Jay Kumar and Rince Joseph were also notable runners in the event, clocking 46.53s and 46.72s, respectively.
R Vithya Ramraj of Tamil Nadu secured the top position in the women's 400m hurdles with a time of 57.45s. She is preparing to compete in both the 400m and 400m hurdles at the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi. Additionally, she participated in the 200m race, finishing behind Sneha K of Kerala, who clocked 23.59s, while Vithya Ramraj finished at 23.72s. Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew, and Gowri Nandana were among the familiar faces in the women's 400m race.
Other notable performances at the Indian Grand Prix 2 included Vimal Mukesh's 15.83m jump in the men's triple jump. Nithya Ramraj clocked 13.27s in the women's 100m hurdles, closely followed by Pragyan Prasanti. Some events, such as the women's 800m, javelin throw, and long jump, saw limited participation.
Kujur's recent achievements include setting a new national record of 20.40 seconds in the 200m at the National Federation Senior Athletics Competition in Kochi. This performance also made him the Asian season leader. Kujur had earlier won a gold medal in the Uttarakhand National Games with a time of 20.58 seconds and another gold at the Indian Open Athletics Meet in Chennai with 20.63 seconds.
Animesh Kujur's journey to becoming a national record holder is an inspiring one. Initially a football player, he transitioned to athletics and quickly made a name for himself. With his sights set on the Asian Championships and the World Championships, Kujur aims to break the 20-second barrier in the 200m, a feat no Indian male runner has yet achieved. He draws inspiration from Usain Bolt and is determined to elevate Indian sprinting to new heights.
