Animesh Kujur set to become first Indian sprinter to compete at Diamond League: 'I have to act like a pro athlete'

Hailed as the fastest man of India, Animesh Kujur is set to make Diamond League history in Monaco on Friday, becoming the first Indian sprinter to compete in the event. With this mercurial rise, Kujur will now walk among the heavyweights of the sport like Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo.

The 22-year-old Indian met the aforementioned Olympic champions during lunch on Thursday and could not contain his excitement. He did not let the opportunity slip and took a selfie with the duo.

Animesh Kujur set to make history for India

Howbeit, Kujur will not be racing against Lyles and Tebogo. He will compete in the U-23 200m event, which will be paced with some of the biggest track and field stars. The favourite in Kujur’s race is the highly-touted Australian teen prodigy Gout Gout, who is often compared to a young Bolt and is also making his mark among the elite athletes.

“I saw them in the dining hall," Kujur said about Lyles and Tebogo. “I used to see them on Instagram only, not in reality. So when I saw them for the first time in my life, I went and took a photo with them. They’re very nice. They said, ‘Yeah, bro, come and let’s take a photo’. I felt like, oh wow, I am on a bigger stage now. I have to act like a pro athlete."

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India's Animesh Kujur makes history, finishes 4th in Monaco Diamond League under-23 200m event 'Running with faster athletes will only make me faster': India's Animesh Kujur eyes glory after historic Diamond League debut

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Kujur smashed national records ahead of Diamond League

Kujur has been in exceptional form leading up to Monaco, setting national records of 10.18 seconds in the 100m and 20.27 seconds in the 200m.

The 22-year-old, born in a tribal village in Chhattisgarh, a landlocked state in central India, credits his improved performance to a two-week camp in Switzerland.

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During the camp, he worked on body mechanics and his start out of the blocks with his coach, Martin Owens from Odisha Reliance Foundation and Swiss-based bobsleigh performance coach Chris Woolley.

“Because of that, my time improved so much," he said, adding that competing away from domestic competition was also a significant factor.

Animesh Kujur of India will be in action from 1 AM IST on July 12. Live streaming of the Monaco Diamond League 2025 athletics meet will be on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel.

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(With agency inputs)