Tejas Shirse creates national record, surpasses CWG qualification mark

Indian hurdler Tejas Shirse produced a phenomenal performance at the Indian Athletics Series 9 on Saturday as he delivered a landmark performance by finishing the 110m hurdles in a record 13.27 seconds.In doing so, the obstacle runner not only set a new national record also secured a berth in the 2026 Commonwealth Games team. The 24-year-old broke his own national 13.41 seconds record set in 2024.

The Indian athlete went past the Athletics Federation of India’s Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 13.39 seconds.The new record shows major progress in Shirse's performance since his gold medal-winning sprint of 13.50 seconds at the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month, putting him alongside Asia’s top performers in the ongoing campaign.His 13.27-second record holds the 6th spot in the continental chart of 2026.Shirse’s achievement holds immense significance for Indian athletics. With his selection, the athlete could become the nation’s first male hurdler to take part in the Commonwealth Games since Siddharth Thingalaya’s participation in 2014However, national record holder Mohammad Afsal P had a disappointing run in the men's 800m, finishing at 1:47.00.

He fell short of the 1:45.00 qualification mark, a setback that can potentially dent his Commonwealth Games aspirations.Focus later turned to the men's javelin throw, where several athletes were battling to touch the selection benchmark.With star contender Sachin Yadav known for his appearance in the World Championship finals, getting ruled out due to an elbow injury and star thrower Neeraj Chopra continuing his rehabilitation, Rohit Yadav, Shivam Lohakare, and Kishore Kumar Jena remained key contenders for a spot in the national squad.