India’s sprinting hopes found solid footing in Luzern as Animesh Kujur and Manikanta Hoblidhar recorded commendable performances in the men’s 200m finals. While they didn’t finish on the podium, the races were an important step forward, especially for Kujur, who clocked 20.79s, later reflecting: “Growth will take time, but I’m happy with my rhythm today.”

Kujur’s Speed Holds Up in Final 1

Placed in a high-quality Final 1, Animesh Kujur ran a strong race to finish 6th with 20.79s, maintaining solid pace till the end. Competing against the likes of Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba and Switzerland’s Timothé Mumenthaler, Kujur held his ground in a packed field.

He was only 0.65s off the winner and looked technically compact, a promising sign with major meets ahead.

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Kujur’s Best Still Ahead
Kujur’s personal best of 20.66s remains his fastest to date, achieved earlier this season. While he didn’t surpass that mark, this race showed his steady form and potential to rise on bigger stages.

“My body is responding well to training. I know I’ll go sub-20.60 soon, just need to keep working,” Kujur said post-race.

Manikanta Finishes 2nd in Final 3Meanwhile, Manikanta Hoblidhar, another emerging Indian sprinter, clocked 21.36s to finish second in Final 3. It wasn’t his personal best, but his controlled effort against USA’s Evan Mafilas showed his growing consistency.

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