Tejas Shirse shatters national 110m hurdles record, secures CWG qualifying mark

Indian hurdler Tejas Shirse produced a career-defining performance at the Indian Athletics Series 9 in Ludhiana on Saturday, breaking the national record in the men's 110m hurdles and comfortably achieving the Athletics Federation of India's qualification standard for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The 24-year-old clocked an impressive 13.27 seconds to better his previous national record of 13.41 seconds, which he had set in 2024. The timing also placed him well inside the Commonwealth Games qualification benchmark of 13.39 seconds, significantly strengthening his chances of earning a place in India's squad for the multi-sport event.

Competing in the B final, Shirse made a blistering start and established control of the race from the opening hurdles. Despite making contact with the final barrier, he maintained his rhythm and crossed the finish line well ahead of the field. Krishik M finished second in 13.55 seconds.

The performance marked a major improvement on Shirse's gold medal-winning run of 13.50 seconds at the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month and underlined his growing stature in Asian athletics. His latest effort places him among the continent's leading hurdlers this season.

The result also carries historical significance. If selected for the Commonwealth Games, Shirse would become the first Indian male athlete to compete in the 110m hurdles at the event since Siddharth Thingalaya represented the country in 2014.

While Shirse celebrated a breakthrough moment, the day proved disappointing for national 800m record holder Mohammad Afsal P. The middle-distance runner finished with a time of 1:47.00, falling short of the 1:45.00 qualification requirement and leaving his Commonwealth Games hopes hanging by a thread.

Attention later turned to the men's javelin throw competition, where several athletes were looking to achieve qualification standards amid the absence of some of India's leading names. World Championships finalist Sachin Yadav remains sidelined with an elbow injury, while two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is continuing his recovery programme.

In their absence, throwers such as Rohit Yadav, Shivam Lohakare and Kishore Kumar Jena were among those seeking to impress selectors as competition for places in the national team intensifies ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games.

With IANS inputs