Indian athletics witnessed a historic moment in Ludhiana as Tejas Shirse produced the performance of his life. The national record holder stormed to a stunning 13.27 seconds in the men's 110m hurdles at the Indian Athletics Series 9, breaking his own national record and securing qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The run was much more than just a national record. It was the fastest men's 110m hurdles performance ever recorded on Indian soil. It also placed Shirse among the six fastest hurdlers in Asia this year, proving that he now belongs among the continent's elite athletes. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the journey behind it.
Earlier this year, Shirse suffered a serious injury that kept him away from competition
for nearly three months. At a time when he was in excellent form, the setback came as a major blow. There were moments when he considered ending his season altogether.
"The injury period was very difficult. It was a very low point for me," Shirse told MyKhel. "Coming back was emotional. There were moments when I wanted to stop my season, but my team kept supporting me and guiding me through the process. "
The comeback, however, began almost immediately after his return. He clocked 13.43 seconds at the Indian Athletics Series - 6 in Chennai, India's second-fastest performance ever, missing his national record by just 0.02 seconds. Yet the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 13.39 seconds remained frustratingly out of reach.
He came close several times. A 13.50-second run at the Federation Cup and a 13.58-second effort at the New Taipei City Athletics Open showed consistency, but the qualification standard continued to evade him.
Then came Ludhiana. With everything on the line, Shirse delivered the biggest performance of his career. His 13.27-second run not only shattered his own national record of 13.41 seconds but also secured qualification for the Commonwealth Games.
For Indian athletics, the moment carried extra significance. The last Indian to compete in the men's 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games was Siddhanth Thingalaya in 2014. Twelve years later, Shirse will carry India's hopes in the same event. Yet despite the achievement, the 24-year-old remains grounded.
"I am just trying to perform better than I did before," he said. "I am not taking any pressure. My focus is simply on improving my performances. " That mindset has defined his career. Few Indian athletes have experienced as many near misses as Shirse. He narrowly missed qualification for the 2022 Asian Games, the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.
Many athletes would have struggled to recover from so many disappointments. Instead, Shirse used those setbacks as fuel. "Those experiences have made me mentally stronger," he explained. "Sometimes you have to go through the bad moments before you can truly appreciate the good ones. "
His admiration for former national record holder Siddhanth Thingalaya also reveals his long-term vision. "Siddhanth has been my inspiration. He improved from 13.8 seconds to 13.4 seconds, and I feel it is now my responsibility to carry that legacy forward. "
Today, Shirse stands as the face of Indian hurdling. His national record, Commonwealth Games qualification, and place among Asia's fastest athletes are the rewards of years of patience, and belief.
But perhaps the most impressive part of his story is that he is not satisfied. "I have more motivation than pressure," he said. "Every time I break my own record, I know I'm improving. "
For Tejas Shirse, 13.27 seconds is not the finish line. It is only the beginning.
And if his remarkable comeback has shown anything, it is that India's fastest hurdler is still getting faster.
