Young Animesh Kujur Takes Gold in 200m, Heads to 100m Final at Federation Cup
Animesh Kujur, a young sprinter, took a bold step at last year’s Under-23 meet in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. He approached English coach Martin Owens, who heads the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC, asking to train under him. Surprisingly, Owens agreed, but only after Kujur underwent selection trials. “He didn’t even know who I was!” Kujur laughed, reflecting on the moment that changed his trajectory.
Sprinter Animesh Kujur took a chance and approached coach Martin Owens at an Under-23 meet. After passing trials, he's now tearing up the track at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneshwar.
Animesh Kujur, aged 20, blazed across the track, clocking an amazing 20.62 seconds to clinch the 200-meter gold at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneshwar. It’s the second-best time in Indian history, just shy of Amalan Borgohain’s national record of 20.52. Not only that, he’s also made it to the 100-meter final, establishing himself as the sprinter everyone’s talking about.
The collaboration between Kujur and Owens is paying off.
“I didn’t know him at all. I just noticed a foreign coach with other athletes in my state, so I went up to him and asked if he’d coach me. It was as simple as that,” Animesh explained.
A week later, Animesh packed his bags and journeyed to Odisha for an assessment with Owens. Before leaving, he had to reassure his worried mother, who was concerned about him neglecting his studies. Thankfully, his father Amrit, a DSP in the Chhattisgarh state police, stepped in to support him.
“I had to talk to my wife about it. Seeing how passionate our son was about athletics, I wanted to support him in every way possible. His heart was set on it. Now, everyone’s glad we didn’t hold him back from going to Odisha,” Amrit shared.
Growing up in the police staff quarters in the Maoist-affected Bastar region, Animesh Kujur was surrounded by sports from a young age. His mother played hockey, while his father, who served there for over two decades, was both an athlete and a football enthusiast.
“I never had to convince him to play sports. He’d wake up at five in the morning just to join me at the ground in the staff quarters,” Amrit recalled. To nurture his talent, the Kujurs decided to enroll Animesh in the Sainik School in Ambikapur, a good 650 kilometers away.
“You know how strict those Sainik schools can be,” Animesh Kujur jokes. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he initially joined the school’s football team like many kids in the region. “I played as a forward, but eventually switched to athletics. It was at the school where I really learned the value of discipline,” Animesh, with his signature army haircut, shared.
Towering sprinter Animesh Kujur
Standing tall at 6 feet 2 inches, Animesh towers over most athletes. Owens was impressed by his height, but in age-group competitions, Animesh was often sidelined from competing due to his towering stature.
“Almost every time he returned from junior meets, Animesh was downhearted because they claimed he was too old to compete, which wasn’t true. As a parent, it was tough to see him disappointed, but I encouraged him to stay positive. I assured him that things would work out when the time was right,” Amrit shared.
It’s been just over a year since Animesh made the big decision to train at Reliance’s HPC in Odisha, and he’s been making quite an impression on Coach Owens ever since.
I believe in him wholeheartedly. Animesh has the potential to go as far as he dreams. He’s dedicated to his training, always showing up on time and putting in the hard work. We’ve focused on building his strength and improving his mobility, and the results speak for themselves,” Owens praised.
All those extra hours at the gym and healthy eating habits have really paid off. Animesh’s body fat percentage is now just around 7%, showing how dedicated he is to his training and health.
“When Animesh first got here, he was a big fan of rotis. He could easily polish off 10-12 in one sitting! But we helped him cut back gradually to just two. Together with the coaches, we crafted a customized diet plan for him that we tweak based on his training needs,” shared nutritionist Isha Khedekar.
While Animesh is full of potential and even believes he can hit the Paris Olympics qualifying standard of 20.16 seconds, Coach Owens understands there’s still plenty of work ahead before reaching that goal.
“He needs to have that self-belief to aim for Paris. A bit of confidence goes a long way in sprinters. While we encourage that mindset, we also need to stay realistic. This year is a great opportunity for him with no international meets. He can really let loose and show what he’s made of.”
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