National Inter-State Championships 2024: Hurdler Tejas Shirse sets new meet record, Sahil Silwal wins javelin gold with final attempt

Tejas Shirse was clearly not happy, despite winning the 110m Hurdles on the final day of the 63rd Inter-State athletics championships here on Sunday with a new meet record of 13.54s. The 22-year old had been aiming for the Olympic standard (13.27s) but it was too much to ask for from someone who got serious about the sport less than a year ago.

“Seven months back, I was not even thinking about the Olympics. It all started at the last inter-state, where I could not qualify for the Asian Games. But then, I saw the race in Hangzhou and thought, ‘I could have been there’. It triggered a lot of things.

“That’s when I made a roadmap for getting to the Olympics, the first step being the national record, which happened recently. The next was the qualifying mark, which didn’t happen but that doesn’t mean I will give up,” a determined Shirse declared.

Haryana’s Sahil Silwal won gold in Men’s Javelin Throw at the 63rd National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
RITU RAJ KONWAR / The Hindu

Also proving himself ready for bigger challenges was Sahil Silwal, taking the top spot in javelin throw. Silwal, who had been among the most promising throwers a few years ago, pushed himself hard to manage 81.81m in his final throw for a new personal best.

The most anticipated event at the meet saw a new national record by the 4x400m mixed relay team but fell short of qualifying for Paris. The quartet of Mohd. Anas, Mohd. Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi and surprisingly, Kiran Pahal clocked 3:12.82s to better the previous NR by almost two seconds.

It was, however, interesting to see Kiran – who booked an individual quota earlier – despite the AFI’s vehement claims of not considering non-campers for relay events. It remains to be seen whether it was a one-off or the AFI considers her for the national camp and the women’s relay team.