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Odisha’s Animesh Kujur clinched the gold medal in the men’s 100m event at the National Games 2025, equaling the meet record with a time of 10.28 seconds. The 38th edition of the National Games in Uttarakhand saw its athletics events kick off at the Ganga Athletics Ground, MPSC, with Kujur delivering one of the standout performances on the opening day.
In the final stretch, he held off stiff competition from Maharashtra’s Pranav Gurav and Assam’s Amlan Borgohain, ensuring he crossed the finish line first. The two-time national champion matched the National Games meet record but fell just 0.05 seconds short of breaking the national record of 10.23 seconds, currently held by Manikanta Hoblidhar.
Animesh Kujur’s time was also just 0.01 seconds slower than his personal best of 10.27 seconds, set in June 2024. However, with this win, Kujur has added another national-level title to his name.
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Despite narrowly missing both the national record and his personal best, his performance saw him earn a well-deserved gold medal.
National record holder Manikanta Hoblidhar misses out on podium finish at the National Games 2025
Maharashtra’s Pranav Gurav put up an impressive performance, clocking 10.32 seconds to secure the silver medal, finishing ahead of Assam’s Amlan Borgohain, who took home bronze with 10.43 seconds. Gurav’s performance was a surprise, as Borgohain, the men’s 200m national record holder, was one of the pre-race favorites for gold.
Manikanta Hoblidhar, representing Services, struggled to replicate his national record-winning performance of 10.23 seconds and finished outside the podium in fifth place with a time of 10.46 seconds. Despite his experience and past achievements, he was unable to keep pace with Kujur and the other medalists on the day.
Animesh Kujur’s victory reaffirmed his reputation as one of the country’s top sprinters. This gold medal at the National Games 2025 strengthens his bid for selection in upcoming continental and global competitions.
