Rising star sprinter Animesh Kujur wins second medal, sets big targets | Sport-others News

One thing 20-year-old Animesh Kujur is never short of is confidence. His coach feels a touch of swagger is essential for a sprinter. winning a gold in the 200 metres two days ago and a silver in the 100 metres on Wednesday, Animesh has emerged as a sprinter to watch out for. Though he came second to the experienced Gurindervir Singh in the 100 metres, Animesh posted a personal best of 10.50 seconds at the Federation Cup. Gurindervir was a class apart clocking 10.35.
Just minutes after his race, drenched in sweat, Animesh took questions from the media. The 6 2’ toned athlete is aware that his physique has become a talking point.
“Your build is like that of …” Even before the reporter could complete the first question, Animesh chipped in… “like an international runner.”
“It’s just genes. I owe it to my parents. They are not very tall like me but they were blessed and I am benefiting from it,” Animesh said. But Animesh is aware that good genes won’t matter without hardwork. Hours at the gym, scientific diet and self-discipline to keep away from chocolates and chips are just a few things he sticks to.
“I love chocolates. I used to love munching on chips and that’s a craving I still find very hard to res. Now at most, I take just a chip from a packet just to mentally satisfy myself. But this discipline is very important,” Animesh, a Sainik school student with a crew cut who can pass off as a commando, said.
Even when he is asked questions in Hindi, a language he is comfortable in, Animesh makes it a point to reply in English. The reason: “My coach had told me to always speak in English to prepare me for international events. He told me if I speak to the foreign media in Hindi no one will understand. So I am preparing for that too,” Animesh said.
After the 200m finals, he declared boldly that he would try to achieve the Paris Olympics qualification mark of 20.16s. Animesh’s personal best in the 200 metres is 20.62 at the Federation Cup final earlier this week. So he still has some way to go before booking a Paris berth. But he wants to believe that everything is within his reach.
“You have to have that crazy belief in yourself or else it will never happen. Yes, it may sound like I am a little arrogant but that’s a quality needed to survive in this sport. I am not at my peak at the moment. But when I reach there I can surely do it. You have to think beyond the impossible at times,” Animesh, who has made Odisha his home since moving to Bhubaneshwar to train at Reliance Athletics HPC under coach Martin Owens, said.
‘Start’ must improve
The ‘start’ is an area where he needs to improve — as was evident in the 100m finals. He is a little sluggish off the blocks and though he seemed to be catching up with Gurvindervir in the last 20 metres he had to settle for silver.
“With my physique, it is not that easy. Shorter runners can get off the block with much ease. It is an area I need to work on. I need more fluidity and rhythm in my start,” he explained.
Animesh will now head to Weinheim in Germany and will compete and train in Europe under the guidance of Reliance Foundation Athletics director James Hillier, who coaches Jyothi Yarraji and Amalan Borgohain — national record holders in 100m hurdles and 200 metres respectively.
After Weinheim, he will head to Finland and then Brussels. Owens, who has been his coach for nearly a year, believes the stint overseas will help Animesh become a better sprinter.

“James has an excellent track record and I am sure Animesh will learn a lot from him. I don’t want to predict anything and put a cap on him but what I see is that he and Amalan will push each other. With him on his heels, Amalan might be pushed to break his record and then Animesh might go after it,” coach Owens said.