There was a time when a young Gurindervir Singh’s target was to run the 100m in under 10.80 seconds. Nine years later, the Punjab sprinter has become the fastest Indian with a timing of 10.09 seconds.
With his record-breaking run at the National Senior Federation Competition in Ranchi on Saturday, Gurindervir has raised the country’s hopes for a 100m medal in the Commonwealth and Asian Games. His time was the second-fastest by an Asian in the season, behind the 10.08 clocked by 19-year-old Japanese sprinter Fukuto Komuro.
Having taken inspiration from his father, a national-level volleyball player, Gurindervir burst onto the national scene almost 10 years back. In 2018, he broke the national U20 record with a time of 10.47. He recorded his best time of 10.27 in 2021. Troubled by injuries and a health issue affecting digestion, Gurindervir saw a period of stagnation. But in 2024, he returned with a bang, which brought him to the notice of the Reliance Foundation and helped him bag an Indian Navy job. Last year in March, Gurindervir clocked a national record at 10.20 in the Indian Grand Prix 1.
