Tejas Shirse, Animesh Kujur and Harita Bhadra Shine as Multiple Indians Seal Asian Games Qualification at Interstate Championships
The 2026 Interstate Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar continued to produce outstanding performances as several Indian athletes achieved the qualifying standards for the 2026 Asian Games.
National record holders Tejas Shirse and Animesh Kujur led the charge, while Harita Bhadra, Unnathi Bollanda Aiyappa, and Prakruthi Roopa impressed in the women's 200m with qualification-worthy timings. The performances underline the growing depth in Indian sprinting and hurdles, with several athletes not only securing qualification but also producing personal bests and season-leading marks.
India's national record holder in the men's 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse, once again demonstrated his class by clocking 13.43 seconds in the heats to finish as the fastest qualifier for the final. The timing comfortably surpassed the Asian Games qualification standard of 13.63 seconds, securing his place for the continental event. In addition, Shirse bettered his own meet record of 13.54 seconds, further reinforcing his status as India's premier sprint hurdler.
His performance was notable not only for the time achieved but also for the ease with which he controlled the race, suggesting there could be even faster performances to come in the final.
National record holder Animesh Kujur added another milestone to his rapidly growing career by qualifying for the Asian Games in the men's 200 metres. Competing in the heats, Kujur clocked 20.87 seconds, dipping below the qualification standard of 20.88 seconds by the narrowest of margins but with enough precision to officially earn his ticket to the Games.
The result marks yet another major international appearance for the talented sprinter. Having already represented India at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, the 2025 World Athletics Championships, and the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games will become his fourth major global competition.
Kujur's consistency over the past two seasons has established him as one of India's most dependable sprint talents, and his qualification further strengthens India's prospects in both individual and relay events.
One of the standout stories of the championships came in the women's 200 metres, where Harita Bhadra delivered a sensational performance. After initially clocking 23.55 seconds in the heats to secure Asian Games qualification, Harita went even faster in the final, winning gold in 23.14 seconds. The performance represented a massive lifetime best, significantly improving on her previous personal best of 23.90 seconds recorded in England in 2025.
The time also elevated her to become India's ninth-fastest woman ever over 200 metres, while comfortably remaining under the Asian Games qualification mark of 23.70 seconds. Fresh from winning the 2026 National Indoor title, Harita has now established herself as one of the country's most exciting sprint prospects.
Joining Harita in achieving the qualification standard was Unnathi Bollanda Aiyappa, who produced another impressive display over the one-lap sprint. Unnathi clocked 23.65 seconds in the heats, shaving 0.01 seconds off her previous personal best while comfortably finishing inside the qualification benchmark.
Her consistency and continued progression indicate that she could become an important member of India's sprint programme over the coming years, particularly as the country builds towards major international competitions.
Adding to India's successful day on the track, Prakruthi Roopa also secured Asian Games qualification with a time of 23.58 seconds, comfortably below the required standard. Earlier in the competition, she had topped one of the heats in 23.78 seconds ahead of national record holder Jyothi Yarraji, who was making another appearance after her successful comeback and finished in 24.10 seconds.
Prakruthi's improved performance in the final demonstrated excellent composure and progression under championship conditions.
Encouraging Signs for Indian Athletics
The multiple qualification performances highlight the growing strength of Indian sprinting across both men's and women's events.
Tejas Shirse continues to push the standards in the hurdles, while Animesh Kujur has established remarkable consistency at the international level. Meanwhile, the emergence of Harita Bhadra, Unnathi Bollanda Aiyappa and Prakruthi Roopa provides healthy competition in the women's 200 metres and offers optimism for relay squads as well.
With several athletes producing personal bests and breaching qualification marks well ahead of the Asian Games, India's athletics programme appears to be building momentum at the right time.
As the Interstate Athletics Championships continue in Bhubaneswar, attention will now turn to whether these athletes can improve even further in the finals and carry this form onto the continental stage later this year.
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