In Ranchi, a rainy day at the National Open Athletics Championships turned exciting thanks to former national record holder Manikanta Hoblidhar. The 24-year-old sprinter smashed his own meet record to grab the men’s 100m gold with a blazing 10.19 seconds—the second-fastest time ever by an Indian athlete.
At Birsa Munda Stadium, Manikanta showed real grit. He matched his previous meet record of 10.23 in the semifinals, then surged ahead in the final to beat Pranav Gurav (10.31) and Harsh Raut (10.38). The wet track made things tough, but he came just 0.01 seconds short of Animesh Kujur’s national record of 10.18. Manikanta also improved his personal best from 10.22. After the race, he shared, “I aimed for 10.10, but the slippery surface slowed me down. My big goal? An individual medal at the 2026 Asian Games.”
The day wasn’t all smooth, though. Two rising stars faced heartbreaking injuries. High jumper Gobika K. had already clinched gold with a 1.79m leap, but she hurt her right knee badly while going for more height. Officials stretchered her off as she cried out in pain, shocking the crowd.
In the women’s 100m, Sneha S.S. powered to victory in 11.62 seconds, nipping Sudeshna Shivankar (11.64) and Abinaya Rajarajan (11.67) in a nail-biter. But Abinaya, who’s been dealing with a lung condition, collapsed after worsening a groin injury and needed help off the track.
Other highlights kept the energy high. Olympian Rajesh Ramesh timed his kick perfectly in the men’s 400m, passing Santhosh T. with 80 meters left to win gold in a season-best 45.75 seconds. And in the 110m hurdles, Manav R. held onto his title—filling in for the absent Tejas Shirse—with a solid 13.97 for the win.
Despite the rain and setbacks, these National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi delivered thrilling moments for track and field fans.
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