Ludhiana, June 13 (IANS) Indian hurdler Tejas Shirse delivered a landmark performance at the Indian Athletics Series 9 on Saturday, clocking a stunning 13.27 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles to set a new national record and strengthen his case for a place in the 2026 Commonwealth Games squad.

The 24-year-old athlete eclipsed his own national record of 13.41 seconds set in 2024, producing one of the finest sprint-hurdle performances by an Indian athlete. His effort also comfortably surpassed the Athletics Federation of India’s Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 13.39 seconds.

Running in the B final, Shirse exploded out of the blocks and established an early lead. Despite clipping the final hurdle, he maintained his momentum to the finish line, stopping the clock at 13.27 seconds. Krishik M finished second in 13.55 seconds but was never able to close the gap on the record-breaking hurdler.

The timing represents a significant leap from Shirse’s gold medal-winning run of 13.50 seconds at last month’s Federation Cup in Ranchi and places him among Asia’s leading performers this season. His 13.27-second effort currently ranks sixth on the continental list for 2026.

The achievement carries additional significance for Indian athletics. If selected, Shirse could become the first Indian male hurdler to compete at the Commonwealth Games since Siddharth Thingalaya’s appearance in 2014.

Elsewhere, national record holder Mohammad Afsal P endured a disappointing outing in the men’s 800m, clocking 1:47.00 and falling short of the 1:45.00 qualification standard, a result that may end his hopes of making the Commonwealth Games team.

Attention later shifted to the men’s javelin throw competition, where several athletes were chasing qualification marks. With World Championships finalist Sachin Yadav sidelined by an elbow injury and double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra continuing his recovery from injury, throwers including Rohit Yadav, Shivam Lohakare and Kishore Kumar Jena remained in contention for a place in the national squad.

–IANS

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