"I saw a foreigner and approached him" - Animesh Kujur on how he met his coach; opens up on Olympic aspirations

The story of how Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur met Martin Owens, the head coach of Odisha High-Performance Center, is fascinating. Animesh hails from Chhattisgarh, a state not typically highlighted on India's sporting map.

Despite that, he found someone who helped Animesh grow as a player. Playing in a U23 tournament in Chhattisgarh, Animesh performed well and lived every Indian boy’s dream of being spotted by a coach.

After the game, a nervous Animesh, just like every one of us, was fascinated by seeing a foreigner in Chhattisgarh. That foreigner was Martin Owens - head coach Reliance Foundation Youth Sport Odisha High-Performance Centre.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Animesh shed light on how he met Martin Owens and his plans to play in the Paris Olympics 2024.

“During a competition in my state, I performed well in the under-23 category, which caught the attention of Martin Owens," Animesh Kujur said. "After my race, I saw a foreigner and approached him, not knowing he was the head coach of the Odisha High-Performance Centre. He asked if I wanted to join Reliance Foundation after seeing my performance, and I said yes right away."

The 21-year-old praised Martin for his immense experience and how he helped Animesh become a better person.

“Martin has immense experience in athletics and supports me in every aspect of the sport and life in general. He teaches me not just about athletics but also how to be a gentleman. I've learned a lot from him,” he added.

The Chhattisgarh-born sprinter is from an army school, which was one of the biggest reasons he was disciplined and punctual.

“Army school taught me discipline and punctuality, which are crucial in athletics. There, we had strict schedules, and if we missed anything, we were punished. This discipline helps me in my training now,” Animesh continued.

Animesh’s primary event is 200m, but he competes regularly in 100m as well. When asked about the challenges of switching between both events. He added:

“Initially, it was a bit hard, but now my body has adapted to it.”

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“My main goal is to qualify for the Paris Olympics - Animesh Kujur

Amlan Borgohain and Animesh Kujur (Image via Amlan Borgohain/ IG)

Animesh Kujur was recently a part of the Trofeo de Atletismo Ciudad de Salamanca - Memorial Carlos Gil Perez 2024 athletics meet in Spain earlier this month. He clinched the gold medal in 200m with a personal best of 20.59 seconds but fell short of the Olympic standard of 20.16 seconds.

Animesh also won a gold in 200m in the Federation Cup with a timing of 20.62 seconds, just 0.10 short of the national record by Amlan Borgohain (20.52 seconds). He also secured a silver medal in 100m with a time of 10.50 seconds.

“It was really hard to compete in two events because every day, you have to give your full effort in each race," Animesh said. "Training in Bhubaneshwar's hot and humid climate was tough. My coach always reminded me to push hard but stay safe to avoid heat strokes. Adapting to the weather here gave me an advantage since others were not used to it. This made the competition a bit easier for me, and I performed well."

Animesh Kujur, just like many other Indian athletes, will now feature in the 63rd National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in a final attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

“I was happy to achieve my personal best in the 200 meters but also a bit upset to miss the national record by just 0.10 seconds. I believe that if I didn't break it this time, I will next time. My main goal is to qualify for the Olympics; the national record will come eventually,” Animesh Kujur added.