Top hurdler Tejas Shirse broke his own record in men’s 110m hurdles as he crossed the finish line in 13.27 seconds during the Indian Athletics Series 9. The two-day tournament kicked off on Saturday at the Guru Nanak Stadium here.
With this, he also breached the 13.29-seconds qualification time for Commonwealth Games set by the Athletics Federation of India.
In 2024, Shirse had set a national record of 13.41 seconds. The meet featured athletes from several states competing across track and field events. Several of the performances drew attention as scouts prepare for forthcoming national and international assignments.
Last qualification event for CWG
The tournament is the last qualification round for the Commonwealth Games to be held in July. Around 700 athletes, including several national and international competitors, are participating in the meet being organised by the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA) in association with the Athletics Federation of India.
PAA general secretary Prem Singh said participation of leading athletes from across the country had raised the competition’s standard.
Prem Singh said the PAA regularly hosts national-level competitions to provide exposure to emerging athletes and strengthen the ecosystem in the state. He added the Indian Athletics Series 5 at Sangrur on May 9 had also received encouraging response.
