Safar Champions Ka: Tejas Shirse’s Journey from a Mud Track to India’s National Record
From training on a mud track in Marathwada to becoming India’s 110m hurdles national record holder, Tejas Shirse opens up on his journey, his evolution as an athlete and the belief that continues to drive him forward in a Reliance Foundation Sports special, Safar Champions Ka.
From wooden hurdles and mud tracks in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to becoming India’s national record holder in the 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse’s journey is built on determination, resilience and an unwavering belief in his own ability.
In the latest episode of Reliance Foundation Sports’ Safar Champions Ka, Tejas Shirse opens up about his journey, the people who recognised his potential, the setbacks that tested him and the support system that has helped him continue breaking barriers.
His journey began in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, where modern athletic infrastructure was scarce.
“We don’t have any synthetic track over there, not even one in the whole of Marathwada. There is not even one single synthetic track.”
For one to one-and-a-half years, Tejas trained on a mud track. His first major national competition came at the 2018 Under-17 National Championships, where he won gold.
“I came from that mud track and then saw what the other athletes are doing and what the other level looks like. I kind of fell in love with this game eventually and I kind of wanted to pursue this.”
View this post on Instagram
But even before he became a national record holder, Tejas’ determination had already begun to define him.
“He is so stubborn, and whatever he sets his mind to, he does it,” recalls his early school coach, Poonam Rathore.
His father, Ashok Shirse, saw the same quality in his son.
“Determination itself made him self-reliant.”
At Maharashtra Public School, Tejas’ transition into hurdling was born out of necessity. With no hurdles available at the school, wooden hurdles were made for him to train on. It was during this process that Poonam Rathore recognised his natural ability.
“He tried hurdles because there were kids in our school who ran faster than him. But no one did hurdles better than him. Because of the bounce... he liked the hurdles technique first, and he performed it well.”
The event suited Tejas. His technique, bounce and willingness to master the discipline gave him a new direction.
From those wooden hurdles, he went on to establish himself as one of India’s leading hurdlers.
The road to the top, however, was far from smooth. Over a two-year period, Tejas missed seven international competitions due to injuries. The setbacks could have slowed his momentum, but he chose to see them differently.
“I take a lot of pride in how I managed all those things. That shows how much I have left in the tank when I am fully able to express myself.”
The perseverance eventually paid off in spectacular fashion. At the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Cup in Ranchi in May 2026, Tejas clocked 13.50 seconds to break the meet record of 13.61 seconds, which he had set in 2023. Less than a month later, at the Indian Athletics Series 9 in Ludhiana, he rewrote his own national record with a stunning 13.27 second run, becoming the first Indian hurdler to break the 13.30-second barrier while also achieving the qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games.
His journey also demanded a strong support system. That came through the Reliance Foundation.
For Tejas’ father, the change after joining the Reliance Foundation was clear.
“After coming to the Reliance Foundation Sports, his enthusiasm increased immensely. He also started winning medals there. The combination of him and his coach is so top-notch now that even if there is any injury, they maintain everything properly. We have absolutely no worries. We are a thousand times thankful to the Reliance Foundation.”
His mother, Laxmi Shirse, adds:
“It feels like a family. We as parents don’t need to worry anymore because they are taking care of everything.”
For Tejas, the support has transformed more than just his performance on the track.
“There’s a lot of change in me personally, in my mentality and in my physicality as well. The support which I am getting at the Reliance Foundation is completely, I would say, the epitome for a hurdler or any sports athlete. Everything is taken care of, and I think it is very crucial to have a good team around yourself.”
The journey has also been shaped by an unyielding belief in his own ability.
“I think confidence is everything to me. If you have the confidence and if you know that you are capable of doing that, you just have to do that and it just builds upon itself and it just stacks up. The end product will be something you will absolutely fall in love with.”
For Tejas, confidence builds with every challenge overcome. Every race, every training session and every setback adds to the process of becoming better.
That process is still ongoing.
“I haven’t figured out everything on my own, but I’m in the process of learning and becoming a better version of myself every day. I’m learning through my mistakes and hopefully, I will break the barriers of my own mentality and get the Indian hurdles level higher.”
And behind the athlete’s ambition is a family with a dream of its own.
“We are very happy that he has reached this far. We strongly desire for him to win a gold medal. His efforts are also focused on winning a medal, and it should be gold,” says Ashok Shirse.
View this post on Instagram
From a mud track in Marathwada to the national record, from wooden hurdles to the biggest stages in athletics, Tejas Shirse has already overcome barriers that once seemed impossible.
But he is not done yet. The next hurdle is always waiting.
Tejas Shirse’s Safar Champions Ka continues.
Your Comments