Bhubaneswar: The Head Coach of the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre (HPC) Martin Owens praised sprinter Animesh Kujur following his bronze medal win at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.
“Animesh has just won a bronze medal with a new national record and personal best of 20.32 seconds. He narrowly missed the silver, which was unfortunate, but we are incredibly proud of his performance,” said Owens about Kujur’s achievement.
Despite battling a fever in the days leading up to the event, Kujur pushed through to deliver a remarkable run. “He’s spent the last few days mostly sleeping, running, and recovering,” Owens said. “His resilience has been commendable.”
After Animesh Kujur won a #Bronze in his maiden Asian Athletics Championships at Gumi, his coach Martin Owens reflects on his performance, his transition from a footballer to an ace sprinter and the way forward.#OdishaForSports #IndianAthletics #AAC25 #Athletics pic.twitter.com/H89kKu06rR
— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) May 31, 2025
Owens highlighted that 2025 has been a breakthrough year for the young athlete. Kujur won both the 100m and 200m at the National Games in Dehradun and previously set a national record at the Federation Cup with a time of 20.40 seconds — a mark he has now improved.
“In between his two 200m records, he was also part of the relay team that set a new national record in the 4x100m event,” the coach added.
Kujur is scheduled to compete next in Taiwan, followed by a European circuit featuring events in Geneva, Monaco, and Athens. These competitions serve as vital preparation for the upcoming World University Games in Bucha, Germany.
“With continued support from the government and the Reliance Foundation, we aim to build on this momentum and target qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year,” said Owens.
