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Actor Akshay Kumar has hailed India’s sprint sensation Gurindervir Singh after the Punjab athlete scripted history by becoming the fastest Indian ever in the men’s 100m event.
At the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition 2026 in Ranchi held on Saturday, Gurindervir stopped the clock at 10.09 seconds to achieve what no Indian had ever managed before — becoming the first from the country to run the men’s 100m in under 10.1 seconds.
Taking to X, Akshay shared a picture of Gurindervir and wrote: “Was reading about Gurindervir Singh, who has become India’s fastest man alive, and am seriously blown away. For years and years, we saw foreign athletes win 100m races and break records. Tab sab kehte the Indians se nahi hoga. Ab sab keh rahe hain yeh toh hona hi thaa (Then everyone used to say Indians could not do the same. Now they are saying this was bound to happen)”
He concluded, “So proud of you young man. Even prouder that you are from our armed forces. Punjabiyan di shaan vakhri (Punjabis have a unique and unmatchable pride):)”
The 25-year-old’s remarkable effort rewrote the national record and secured qualification for both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
The sprinter recalled that when he was just 13 and becoming serious about athletics, several coaches advised him to give up the 100m and shift to the 400m instead. “They told me there’s no future in the 100m. I should instead try to run the 400m. They said the 100m was not for Indians. Indians didn’t have the body type for it. But I wanted to prove them wrong. I wanted to prove Indian genes tagde hain,” he told Sportstar.
A few days ago, Sachin Tendulkar shared a post on X, praising the sprinter for his landmark achievement. “Incredibly proud of Gurindervir Singh for becoming the fastest Indian ever. What a phenomenal achievement. Keep sprinting ahead, champion!” he said in a post.
Yuvraj Singh also congratulated the sprinter through a heartfelt Instagram post, highlighting Punjab’s rich sporting culture and Gurindervir’s inspirational rise. “Congratulations @gurindervir_singh on creating history with a stunning 10.09s National Record in the 100m. Proud to see India produce moments like this on the global stage, and even prouder to see Punjab continue its incredible legacy of giving the country fearless athletes with heart, hunger and determination. Your achievement will inspire a whole new generation to believe that Indian sprinting belongs among the very best,” Yuvraj posted.
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha
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