Quest to become the fastest Indian

After bagging 3 gold medals at National Games, Animesh Kujur is confident of making the cut for Asian Championships

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI: It's tough not to notice Animesh Kujur's flamboyance. With his arms spread out in Usain Bolt's iconic Lightning Bolt celebration and his piston-like feet that show no signs of deceleration, Kujur has exploded on the Indian athletics scene with chutzpah befitting a world-beating track star.

If not for the deadpan sincerity with which he spells out his dreams, the aspiring footballer-turned-speedster could be misconstrued as the athletics equivalent of a trash-talking boxer.

"I want to be the first Indian to break the 10-second barrier in 100m and 20-second barrier in 200m races," he declared matter-of-factly. If it's an act, it is an act done well.

"He comes across as this super loud character but he is quite humble. He is thankful for the gifts he has and likes to stay grounded," Kujur's coach at Reliance High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, Martin Owens, said.

The gift Owens refers to is speed. A combination of training, talent, and genetics, there are few fascinating sights in sports than the raw ability of a human body to challenge time. Kujur, Owens said, has all the makings of the track superstar India has long been waiting for.

"He has fantastic genes, great fast-twitch muscle fibres. Technically, he is still a work in progress but the important thing is he is willing to put his head down and work hard," the coach said.