The opening day of the Federation Cup 2026 turned into a historic occasion for Indian athletics after the men’s 100m national record was broken twice within a span of minutes.
Held as the final selection event for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, the competition carried enormous significance, especially with the Athletics Federation of India enforcing strict qualification standards and limiting the contingent size for track and field events.
The spotlight firmly belonged to the men’s 100m heats.
Gurindervir Singh first electrified the track by clocking 10.17 seconds, shaving time off the previous national record and briefly becoming India’s fastest-ever man over the distance.
But the excitement inside the stadium rose even further moments later when Animesh Kujur sprinted to 10.15 seconds in another heat, reclaiming the national record and also meeting the Commonwealth Games qualification requirement.
The men’s 100m final, scheduled for 7:10 pm on Thursday, is now expected to be one of the most anticipated races of the domestic season.
Ancy Sojan and Seema headline strong field performances
The field events also produced several notable performances on Day 1.
Asian Games silver medallist Ancy Sojan registered a lifetime best jump of 6.75m to win the women’s long jump competition. Shaili Singh finished second with 6.58m, while Bhavani Yadav secured third place.
Ancy now stands within touching distance of both the national record and the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
In the women’s discus throw, Seema Punia crossed the CWG entry mark with a winning effort of 57.29m. Nidhi Rani and Krishna Jayasankar completed the top three.
Elsewhere, Deepak Bhatt won the men’s 10000m title, Ravina Gayakwad topped the women’s 10000m event, and Ashish Jakhar emerged victorious in the men’s hammer throw.
With national records tumbling and qualification battles intensifying, the Federation Cup delivered an explosive start to India’s Commonwealth Games selection process.
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