New Delhi, April 12: Confidence is often mistaken for arrogance, but in Animesh Kujur's case, it is clarity. India's fastest 100m sprinter is not chasing the conversation around him - he is trying to move it forward.
At the Delhi leg of the Indian Athletics Series at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday (April 11), the 22-year-old clocked 10.28 seconds to open his outdoor season, finishing joint-fastest in a competitive field with Tamilarasu Senthilkumar. It was a composed, controlled run - the kind that reflects not just speed, but awareness of where he stands in his training cycle.
"10.28 is a very good time. but I'm aiming for 10-flat," Kujur told myKhel after the race - a statement that immediately shifts the focus from what he has done
to what he believes is possible.
Early season, but right on track: Animesh Kujur
This was Kujur's first outdoor outing of the year after competing at the National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he clocked 6.71s in the 60m heats before a false start in the final denied him a podium finish. Although the transition from indoor humidity to Delhi's open conditions - heat, wind and a fast track - required quick adaptation, but it wasn't much of a challenge for Kujur and other sprinters.
The Reliance Sports Foundation athlete explained, "In Bhubaneswar (at the National Indoors Championships), humidity was higher because it was indoors. Here it's open, there's more heat, and we had wind as well - that was like an extra bonus (chuckles). "
Talking about racing on the newly laid Mondo tracks at the JLN Stadium, where he was competing for the first time like fellow athletes, Kujur stated, "Oh I liked it. The track is very fast and I really enjoyed running today. "
What adds context to the 10.28 is timing. Kujur is still in the early phase of his season, far from peak form. "The season has started well. This is what I expected. I'm still in my off-season phase and my main season hasn't even begun properly," he said.
Not chasing qualification, chasing a barrier
The wider conversation in Indian sprinting this year has centred around the 10.16s qualification mark for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Kujur, whose national record stands at 10.18 seconds, sits within touching distance.
But he is not interested in chasing that number. "I'm not targeting qualification. My aim is 10-flat. If that happens, everything else will follow," he said.
It is a subtle but important shift - from chasing standards to chasing history.
Running his own race
In Delhi, Kujur lined up in a strong field featuring Gurindervir Singh, Pranav Gurav and Tamilarasu Senthilkumar. Yet, his focus remained internal.
"I wasn't really looking at who all were there. We all train together, we know each other. For me, it was about giving my best based on my training," the Chhattisgarh athlete added further.
That approach reflects a growing maturity. Kujur is no longer reacting to the race around him; he is executing his own plan.
A breakthrough year behind him
The confidence to speak about sub-10 does not come in isolation. Kujur is coming off a landmark 2025 season where he became the fastest Indian ever in the 100m (10.18s) and set the 200m national record (20.32s), winning bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships.
He was also part of the national record-setting 4x100m relay team (38.69s) and clinched a bronze medal at the World University Games, underlining his growth across formats.
But beyond the medals, the biggest takeaway was learning how to navigate the demands of elite competition. "Earlier, I was targeting specific competitions. Then things changed - rankings, World Championships, World University Games. I realised I needed to learn how to train between competitions. That was something new for me," he said.
Lessons from the global stage
Kujur's exposure at the highest level - including the Diamond League in Monaco and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo - has played a key role in shaping his mindset.
"That was my first big competition with such a huge crowd. But I didn't feel pressure - I felt energy. It made me want to do better," he said of Monaco.
Tokyo, meanwhile, offered a different lesson - one of endurance and preparation across a long season. "Managing training and keeping the body right between competitions at that level was new for me. I've learned from that," he added.
Building towards something bigger
Training at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar under the watchful eyes of coach Martin Owens, Kujur continues to refine his race, with a focus on starts and execution. Even his off-season has been about gaining an edge.
"I worked with a bobsleigh team. Their start mechanics are very similar to ours - I learned a lot about explosiveness and preparation," he revealed.
The 10.28 in Delhi is, in many ways, a starting point. It reflects rhythm, control and early-season sharpness - but not the finished product.
And that is precisely what makes it significant.
Because while Indian sprinting continues to frame success through qualification marks, Animesh Kujur is looking beyond them. "If 10-flat happens, everything else will follow," he signed off.
For now, it remains a target. But given where he stands - and how he is building - one hopes it is no longer a distant one.
