Winners at Kalinga Stadium
At the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting held at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium on Saturday, August 22, South Africa's Tshepo Jason Tyantini and India's Abinaya Rajarajan emerged as the fastest male and female athletes.
Tyantini, 21, won the men's 100m in 10.11 seconds, according to a results summary reported by Times Now. India Today also reported the same winning time and noted that Tyantini's previous personal best was 10.20 seconds. Behind him, Ali Al Balushi of Oman finished second in 10.16 seconds, and Sri Lanka's Dineth Induwara W took third in 10.27 seconds, as per the results listed by Times Now.
In the women's 100m, Abinaya Rajarajan of Tamil Nadu clinched the title in 11.34 seconds, as reported by Times Now. Harita Bhadra of Maharashtra finished second in 11.46 seconds, while S. Sathyanarayan of Karnataka claimed third in 11.56 seconds.
Indian sprinters fall short
The home crowd, mostly composed of young students, witnessed a notable absence of Indian sprinters on the podium in the men's 100m. Animesh Kujur, representing Odisha, finished sixth in 10.32 seconds, while national record holder Gurindervir Singh of Punjab finished ninth in 10.39 seconds, as reported by Times Now. India Today also reported Kujur's sixth-place finish with the same time, but placed Gurindervir eighth among 12 finishers, rather than ninth.
The result marked a significant moment: it was the first time since April 2025 that neither Animesh nor Gurindervir won a race in India, according to India Today. The same report noted that their poor results stretched into a second competition, following their recent performances at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Both athletes had struggled at the Commonwealth Games. India Today reported that Gurindervir clocked 10.39 seconds in his heat and failed to reach the final, while Animesh qualified for the 200m semi-final but clocked 20.65 seconds in Lane 1 and did not progress to the final. Animesh's coach, Martin Owens, took responsibility for that exit, saying, "I should have read the rules better. It was my failure."
Coach sees a wake-up call
Despite the disappointing results, the mood around the Indian camp was anything but defeatist. Coach Martin Owens emphasised a broader issue: "Indians have too much training, and too little competition. That has to change." Animesh echoed a similar sentiment, saying, "I am happier racing like this. We generally go overseas to race with athletes faster than us, so this was a welcome change."
Both athletes pointed to specific factors in their performances. Gurindervir said he was concerned about slipping on the slightly wet track, while Animesh mentioned a slight stumble around the 50m mark.
Owens indicated that the athletes would now enter two separate training camps?one in India and one in Japan?ahead of the Asian Games. He referred to Ali Al Balushi and Yuki Koike as among the 10 fastest men in Asia this season, suggesting the level of competition they will face.
Looking ahead
For Animesh and Gurindervir, the loss at home may prove valuable as they prepare for the Asian Games. As India Today put it, the defeat could be the statement they needed, serving as a necessary wake-up call before the major championship. The Continental Tour Silver meeting, while a setback on home soil, offered a chance to reset and address the gaps in their preparation.