Martin Owens, the Head Coach at the Reliance Foundation Youth Sport Odisha High Performance Centre, remembers the first time he assessed Animesh Kujur. The physical raw material was undeniable -- a 6’2” muscular frame that looked built for power. But the mechanics? That was a different story.

“He couldn’t squat without falling over. He was like the Tin Man out of The Wizard of Oz,” Owens told Network 18 earlier this year. “Stiff, lacking mobility, a bit of finesse. But when he was moving, he was actually very quick.”

 In 2025, the ‘Tin Man’ didn’t just find his oil; he found a gear that ranked among the fastest Indian sprinting has ever witnessed.

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In a season that will be remembered as a watershed moment for the country’s Track and Field ambitions, the 22-year-old Kujur transformed from a promising junior into the undisputed KING of Indian sprinting. It was a year of ‘firsts’ and ‘fastest,’ culminating in a historic milestone that sets him apart from every predecessor: in 2025, Animesh Kujur became the first-ever Indian male sprinter to qualify for the World Athletics Championships. He made it to the Tokyo Worlds in the men's 200m.

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The sub-10.20 Barrier

While the World Championship qualification was the headline act, the foundation was laid in Greece at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting. It was here that Kujur stopped chasing history and started writing it.

The momentum began in May at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Republic of Korea. Kujur announced his arrival by storming to a bronze medal in the men’s 200m. He clocked a National Record of 20.32 seconds, becoming only the second Indian to win a medal in the event at the continental championships.

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While most athletes would have rested on those laurels, Kujur was just warming up.

By June, he had shifted his focus to Europe. Competing at a meet in Geneva, Switzerland, he proved the Asian performance was no fluke. He delivered another high-quality performance, stopping the clock at an impressive 20.27 seconds in the 200m, a run that underlined his growing consistency at the elite level.

Then came July, and with it, the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Vari, Greece. Having conquered the 200m, Kujur turned his attention to the blue-ribbon event: the 100m. Competing at the Konstantinos Baglatzis Municipal Stadium, he produced the run of his life. Kujur stopped the clock at 10.18 seconds, shattering the National Record and becoming the first Indian to breach the 10.20-second barrier.

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His ability to replicate this form was evident at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region. In a gruelling schedule, Kujur finished fourth in the 200m final with a time of 20.85s, missing a medal by a heartbreaking one-tenth of a second, but found redemption in the relay. Anchoring the Indian quartet alongside Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Manikanta Hoblidhar, and Dondapati Jayaram, he helped secure a bronze medal in the 4x100m event.

But that was not all. The Kujur show was on full display at the National Relay Carnival in Chandigarh, where, teaming with Gurindervir Singh, Manikanta Hoblidhar, and Amlan Borgohain, stopped the clock at 38.69 seconds, a new National Record that showcased the growing depth of India's sprinting unit.

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A Generational Shift

Perhaps the most symbolic moment of the year occurred away from the start line, when Kujur met Usain Bolt. The image of the young Indian sprinter, visibly excited, receiving encouragement from the greatest of all time, felt like a passing of the spiritual torch.

Kujur’s 2025 campaign, marked by National Records in both sprints, international medals, and that historic World Championship qualification, has effectively raised the ceiling for what is expected of Indian sprinters. The 'Tin Man' has found his stride, and for the rest of the world, the message is clear: the Indians are coming, and they are coming fast.