Latest news with #OdishaRelianceFoundationHighPerformanceCentre
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
India's Animesh Kujur makes history, finishes 4th in Monaco Diamond League under-23 200m event
Fastest man of India, Animesh Kujur made history by becoming the first Indian sprinter to compete at Diamond League. Kujur finished 4th in in Monaco Diamond League under-23 200m event. read more India's Animesh Kujur becomes first Indian sprinter to compete at the Diamond League. Image: @India_AllSports India's fastest man, Animesh Kujur, registered his name in the history books. On Friday, Kujur became the first Indian sprinter to compete at a Diamond League event. He participated in the U23 200m race at the Meeting Herculis EBS. He notched an impressive 20.55s to finish fourth, continuing his breakout 2025 season. India's Animesh Kujur makes history The 22-year-old sprinter, who hails from Ghuitangar village in Chhattisgarh, has had a sensational season—setting national records in the 100m (10.18s), 200m (20.27s (w), 20.32 s) and 4x100m relay (38.69 s). The Monaco Diamond League is one of the world's most prestigious athletics meets, and this year's event at the Stade Louis II featured nine Paris 2024 Olympic Champions, including sprint legends Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo, and pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | Animesh is the national record holder as well Last week, Animesh shattered the 100m national record at the Dromia International Sprints Meet in Greece, becoming the first Indian man to dip under 10.20s. He clocked 10.18s, surpassing the previous mark of 10.20s set by fellow Reliance Foundation athlete Gurindervir Singh. Earlier this year, he also clinched bronze in the 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Animesh is currently on a 6-week training-cum-competition exposure trip in Europe with his coach Martin Owens, Head Coach at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, and physiotherapist Jayesh Bane. The team has set up their training base at the Swiss Olympic Centre in Magglingen and competed in high quality meets in Geneva and Athens so far. Moving forward, Animesh will be in action at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Lucerne, Switzerland on 15th July. He will then be representing India at the World University Games in Germany in the 200m and 4x100m events.
Mint
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Why Faith Kipyegon's attempt at the sub-4-minute mile matters
Last Thursday Simta Sharma stayed up till 11.30pm, uncharacteristically glued to the television. Despite an early start the next morning, the Bengaluru-based 36-year-old software professional was not going to miss it. Martin Owens, head coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, who was in Europe traveling with his athletes that day, too was keeping a close eye on what was happening in Paris that evening. Breaking 4 was, after all, the biggest moonshot in the world of athletics this year where 34-year-old Faith Kipyegon, Kenya's triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in 1,500m and the mile (1,600m), was attempting to become the first woman to run a mile under 4 minutes. Breaking4, Nike's brand new campaign to break another time barrier, comes on the back of the success of its Breaking2 project in which multiple Olympic medallist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya became the first man ever to run a marathon in under 2 hours under controlled conditions in Vienna in 2019. BREAKING THE BARRIER Sharma, a recreational runner with multiple podium finishes in long distance races ranging from 10km to the full marathon, wasn't sure if Kipyegon would be able to pull off the feat but she found enough inspiration in the fact that the athlete was even attempting it. 'To know that a woman is breaking a big barrier and can run as fast as or faster than men motivates me and makes me happy. It shows I can do more and achieve better times in my races. I was really rooting for her," says Sharma. Owens, owing to his greater experience in elite athletics than Sharma, knew it was a long shot but all the same thought the mere attempt to break the 4-minute mile barrier for women was significant. The first man to run a mile under 4 minutes was Roger Banister, who ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.40 seconds in 1954. On Thursday in Paris, Kipyegon went faster than she ever has and completed the mile in 4 minutes 6.42 seconds, about a second faster than her own world record of 4 minutes 7.64 seconds. 'It was a phenomenal performance to run 4.06… really outstanding… but it shows how difficult it is. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have a long way to go," says Owens. Breaking the 4-minute barrier for women will be a historic moment, feel Sharma and Owens. 'When Banister did it, it was a big deal because people didn't think it was possible. He showed it could be done and once that psychological barrier was overcome, a lot of people ran a mile under 4 minutes," notes Owens. 'For women [breaking the 4-minute mile] shows that women's athletics and sports is getting on par with men and that the world is no longer patronising women about them being the weaker, fairer sex. If a woman bags a 4-minute mile, it puts her ahead of a lot of very good male runners," says Owens explaining the significance of Kipyegon's attempt. 'Women in India need to see some positive role models and I think Faith would be a very good role model for young Indian women to get out there and participate in athletics." BRAND VALUE While achieving the 4-minute mile is undoubtedly a huge landmark for women's sports, many also see this as a strategic marketing move by Nike given that the sports brand developed new shoes, an aerodynamic skinsuit and a 3D printed sports bra to help Kipyegon. After all, Nike's Breaking2 attempt immediately led to a huge demand for carbon plate-powered road running shoes despite the hefty price tag. Owens is quick to point out that track spikes are unlikely to lead to much demand or sales as was the case with road running shoes but 'it makes for a great story." Given the slowing profits and the stiff competition that the brand has been facing from new brands such as On and Hoka One One, Nike is badly in need of a great story that can improve its fortunes, relevance and sales. But Nike is probably looking at innovation, design evolution and sales too. The upper of the prototype spikes that Kipyegon wore for her effort in Paris weighs just 3 grams. That material could potentially appear in Nike's other race day shoes soon. The 3D printed bra and skin suit are what Sharma is already eyeing if they can actually help her improve her race timings. Talking of timings, Owens has no doubt that a woman will pull off a 4-minute mile. 'It will be a significant milestone in the history of athletics when that does happen and it will happen. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have got a long way to go," says Owens, relieved for now that the new technology used in shoes, apparel and modern day race tracks doesn't make athletic achievement that easy. Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.
News18
31-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Reliance Foundation Athletes Shine With Five-Medal Haul At Asian Athletics Championships 2025
Last Updated: Gulveer Singh scripts double gold; Jyothi Yarraji defends title in record-breaking performance In a historic run by Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 held in Gumi, Republic of Korea, athletes supported by Reliance Foundation delivered their best-ever performance, claiming a total of five medals — three golds, one silver, and one bronze — contributing significantly to India's second-place finish overall with 24 medals – the country's best-ever showing at the Championships. Hailing the performance of all the participating athletes, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, 'We had 10 of our athletes participating in the competition and Gulveer really stole the show with his double gold (5000m & 10000m). Jyothi also did amazingly well in the hurdles in extremely difficult conditions, kept her composure and defended her title. In the women's long jump, Ancy Sojan kept her cool by being a brilliant competitor and winning the silver medal with a mature performance. Animesh's bronze medal reflects the investment we have made in sprints and this is the third time this year that he broke the national record, so it was a great performance from him." 'Overall, it was a massive effort from all our athletes out there and it's heartening to see us win medals across all centres in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Odisha in sprint, hurdles, jumps and long distance," he added. Leading the charge was long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, who scripted history by clinching double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, including a new championship record of 13:24.77s in the 5000m. Gulveer became the first Indian athlete since 2017 to win both events in the same edition of the Championships. Meanwhile, Jyothi Yarraji, India's ace hurdler and reigning Asian champion, defended her title in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 12.96s, breaking the championship record under challenging weather conditions. Ecstatic after his achievement in the Championships, Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre athlete Animesh Kujur quoted, 'I'm really proud of winning the bronze medal in my first ever major international championship. At the start line, I was in a good mental space and felt confident in my abilities. I kept composure throughout the final race and was pleased to see myself break the national record once again. I think this is just a start and I want to reach greater heights in the near future." With this five-medal haul, Reliance Foundation athletes not only broke records (two championship records and one national record) but also underlined the Foundation's commitment to nurturing Olympic-level talent through access to world-class facilities across India. The performance in Gumi stands as a proud milestone in the Foundation's journey of empowering young Indian athletes to excel on the global stage. First Published:
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Federation Cup: Footballer-turned-sprinter Animesh Kujur rewrites national 200m record
'Ab bhook aur ho rahi hai (Now, I am feeling hungrier),' Animesh Kujur said after breaking the men's 200 metres national record. An outstanding run around the bend and smooth sprinting down the straight made Animesh a class apart at the Federation Cup as he also qualified for next month's Asian Championships. The 'bhook' the 21-year-old spoke about wasn't in reference to his dinner plans. Rice and dal was his lunch hours before he lowered the national mark from 20.52 seconds to 20.40. Now Animesh wants to become the first Indian male runner to break the 20-second barrier. And he's got the perfect role model. Even as a national school-level football striker, he was fascinated by Usain Bolt. 'I want to become the first athlete (from India) to run below 20 seconds,' Animesh said. 'I have liked Bolt from the beginning. Even when I was playing football and not into athletics, I knew Bolt was the fastest man in the world,' Animesh said. When he opted for the 'Lightning Bolt' pose after the official timings flashed on the giant screen, it didn't seem hackneyed. The six-foot-two-inch sprinter has an air of lightness about him. He posed once again for the cameras, beaming because a monkey was off his back, finally breaking the national record. Martin Owens, Animesh's coach at the Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, hugged and shook hands before lauding him. 'It's a pleasure to coach you,' he said. The fastest Indian man over 200 metres is the title Animesh had been gunning for. Animesh runs the 100 metres as well, and on Monday won the silver in the shorter sprint event, stopping the clock at 10.32 seconds. However, not able to break the national mark, set by Amlan Borgohain in 2022, was playing on his mind because the 200m is his pet event. He had clocked 20.65s and a wind- assisted 20.59 last year. 'I kept thinking that this is my event but wondered why I was not able to break the record,' Animesh said. However, everything came together at the Maharaja's College Stadium on Thursday. He clocked 20.69 seconds in the second heat in the morning, the only sprinter to go under 21 seconds. 'I gave about 85 percent in that race (heat). I knew the evening race would be faster.' Two competitors, in particular, had the speed to challenge him. Manikanta Hoblidhar, the silver medallist in the 100 metres, is strong around the bend, while Amlan is known to be a good chaser in the final phase of a race. 'Mani was going to run fast, so he (Animesh) had to hang onto him and run close. Amlan was on the inside. It was set up beautifully,' was coach Owens' post-race analysis. Giving even an inch away was not an option, Animesh knew. 'Mani is a 10.2 runner (in the 100m) and I chased him and coming from the bend, I had good pace,' he said. Working to improve When Animesh was unable to break the record last year, he focused on two aspects – his start and his speed-endurance. But the bend is where he has aced it since being coached by Owens. 'I told him (before the race), work the bend and relax down the straight. He was really smooth. When he first came to me, he couldn't run a good bend. If you see videos from two years ago, everything was wrong at the bend. His top-end speed is also getting better each year,' the coach says. 'This (qualifying for the Asian Championships) wasn't in the plan. The plan was the World University Games.' Owens believes sky's the limit for Animesh. 'We don't know how fast he can go, we are just scratching the surface when it comes to ability.' Animesh trains in Bhubaneswar while India's other three top-rated sprinters – Gurvindervir Singh, Manikanta and Amlan – are coached by James Hillier, the director of athletics programme at Reliance Foundation, in Navi Mumbai. When all four are on track, like in the 100 metres final, there is anticipation of a high-quality race. However, to satisfy his 'bhook', Animesh needs to get more races with stronger fields under his belt. 'We need lots of guys running fast like in the 100 metres, we need fast races,' Owens felt. 'There's no substitute to running with quicker runners.' Animesh will train and compete in Europe later this season and '20:40 (seconds) won't cut it there. He went last year too and came back a better athlete.' Though he is making waves now as a sprinter, Animesh, a student at the Army School in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, was earlier into football. Wanting to avoid injury, he opted for athletics. At his first track and and field competition, he chose an odd combination of events; the 100m and the shot put. However, he got a clear direction when he walked up to Owens during an Under-23 championship in 2023, two years after he had changed sports. 'I just saw a foreign coach and asked him if he could coach me.'
