New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday began his Mann Ki Baat radio programme with recent achievements of Indian athletes in athletics and said the national record in the 100-metre race had been broken thrice in two days at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition 2026 in Ranchi.

PM Modi spoke with Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, who talked about their practice, friendship and also healthy competition.

Gurindervir Singh said they were friends and helped each other in practice, but during a race, they are competitors.

Gurindervir Singh, who is in the Indian Navy, said he is country's fastest sprinter and has created a new national record of completing the 100-metre race in 10.09 seconds.

The athlete also said that when his mother discouraged him from watching television as a child and told him to focus on studies, he had told her that she would watch him on television one day.

'Today I feel very happy when they watch me on television,' Gurindervir Singh said.

Gurindervir clocked a sensational 10.09 seconds at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition 2026 in Ranchi earlier this month, becoming the first Indian man to breach the 10.10-second barrier in the blue-riband event.

The 25-year-old's remarkable effort rewrote the national record and secured qualification for both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Gurindervir's record-breaking run capped a dramatic day in Ranchi. He had earlier clocked 10.17 seconds in the semifinals to briefly set a new national mark, only for fellow sprinter Animesh Kujur to surpass it moments later with a 10.15-second effort.

In the final, however, Gurindervir reclaimed the record emphatically with his historic 10.09s finish, while both he and Animesh booked their spots for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the sprinter after he became the first Indian to clock below 10.10 seconds in the men's 100m event.

'10.09 seconds! Gurindervir Singh, you have rewritten history. The entire nation is incredibly proud of you!' Mandaviya said in a post on X. (ANI)