CWG 2026 Athletics: Tejas Shirse and Gurindervir Singh Ready to Lead India's Sprint Challenge in Glasgow

India's athletics campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 gathers momentum on Monday with two of the country's fastest men taking centre stage. 

Tejas Ashok Shirse, the national record holder in the men's 110m hurdles, and Gurindervir Singh, India's fastest man over 100 metres, will begin their respective campaigns in Glasgow with hopes of advancing to the next round.

While both athletes compete in different events, they carry similar expectations. Each has enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2026, rewriting the Indian record books and establishing themselves among Asia's leading sprinters. Now, they will look to translate that form onto one of the biggest multi-sport stages in the Commonwealth.

With qualification for the next round on the line, Monday's heats could set the tone for India's sprint campaign.

The spotlight first falls on Tejas Shirse, who will compete in Heat 1 of the men's 110m hurdles at 3:55 PM IST. The Indian enters the race with enormous confidence after producing a sensational 13.27-second national record earlier this season.

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That performance not only made him India's fastest-ever 110m hurdler but also gave him the fastest season's best among all athletes in his heat. The draw appears favourable on paper. Running from Lane 7, Tejas will line up against competitors from Mauritius, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica, England and Saint Lucia.

Among his strongest challengers are Jeremie Lararaudeuse of Mauritius, who owns a personal best of 13.31 seconds, and Jamaica's Jerome Campbell, whose lifetime best stands at 13.23 seconds.

However, based purely on current form, Tejas enters as the athlete to beat. The qualification rules are straightforward.

The first three finishers in each heat automatically qualify for the final, while the next two fastest athletes across all heats also progress. Given his recent performances, the Indian will be targeting automatic qualification rather than relying on time. Tejas has emerged as one of Indian athletics' biggest success stories over the past year. For years, the national record in the men's 110m hurdles had remained one of the country's most difficult marks to surpass.

That changed when Tejas clocked 13.27 seconds, setting a new benchmark for Indian sprint hurdling. More importantly, the performance demonstrated that Indian hurdlers can now compete consistently with the Commonwealth's leading athletes. His technical improvements over the barriers, combined with increased speed between hurdles, have transformed him into a genuine international contender. The Commonwealth Games now offers another opportunity to showcase that progress.

Earlier in the afternoon, Gurindervir Singh will begin his campaign in the men's 100m Round 1, competing in Heat 4 at 2:58 PM IST. Drawn in Lane 5, Gurindervir enters one of the strongest heats of the opening round.

The Indian arrives in Glasgow after becoming the fastest man in Indian history, setting a new national record of 10.09 seconds earlier this season. That mark also gives him the second-fastest season's best and personal best in his heat, highlighting the level of competitiveness expected. His biggest challenge is likely to come from Jamaica's Rohan Watson, whose personal best stands at an outstanding 9.91 seconds.

The field also includes Alieu Joof of The Gambia, who owns a personal best of 10.29 seconds, along with athletes from Jersey, Namibia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Saint Helena and Jersey.

Despite the quality of opposition, Gurindervir possesses both the speed and confidence to progress.

Tough Qualification Format

Unlike the hurdles, qualification in the men's 100m is significantly more demanding. A massive field of 69 athletes has been divided into 10 heats. Only the 17 fastest athletes overall will advance to the semifinals. That means every hundredth of a second could prove decisive. Sprinters cannot afford a slow start or any lapse in concentration, as finishing position alone does not guarantee qualification. Fast times will be essential.

For Gurindervir, the objective will be to produce another performance close to his national record. Running under 10.20 seconds would almost certainly strengthen his chances of advancing.

The presence of both Tejas and Gurindervir reflects the remarkable progress Indian sprinting has made over recent seasons. For decades, India struggled to produce athletes capable of consistently challenging at the international level in sprint events. That narrative has gradually begun to change.

Gurindervir's national record in the 100 metres has broken new ground for Indian sprinting, while Tejas has done the same in the 110m hurdles. Their success has been driven by improved coaching, better sports science support and increased exposure to international competition. The Commonwealth Games now provides the ideal platform to measure that progress against some of the world's fastest athletes.

Monday's races represent only the opening chapter of what both athletes hope will be a memorable campaign. For Tejas, the focus will be on maintaining his excellent form and securing a place in the final, where a medal could become a realistic possibility if he reproduces his national record performance.

For Gurindervir, the challenge is different but equally exciting. Advancing through one of the deepest sprint fields at the Commonwealth Games would represent another important milestone in his rapidly developing career.

Both athletes carry not only India's hopes but also the momentum of a breakthrough season. Their performances in Glasgow will provide another indication of how far Indian sprinting has evolved on the international stage. With Tejas entering his hurdles heat as the fastest athlete on current form and Gurindervir boasting the second-fastest season's best in his 100m heat, expectations are understandably high. 

If both can deliver performances close to their personal bests, India could have two sprinters progressing deep into the competition and taking another significant step forward in the country's athletics journey.