Inspired by sprint legend Usain Bolt, Animesh Kujur is poised to make history as the first Indian sprinter to feature in a Diamond League meet when he lines up for the U-23 200m race in Monaco on Friday. The 22-year-old, who hails from a tribal village in Chhattisgarh, has been in red-hot form, recently clocking national records of 10.18s in the 100m and 20.27s in the 200m. His race will feature Australian teen sensation Gout Gout, with the meet also showcasing Olympic stars like Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo — whom Kujur met in the dining hall. “I used to see them on Instagram only, not in reality,” Kujur told AFP. “They said, ‘Yeah, bro, come and let’s take a photo.’ I felt like, oh wow, that I am on a bigger stage now. I have to act like a pro athlete.” Kujur credited his recent progress to a two-week training camp in Switzerland with coach Martin Owens and bobsleigh performance coach Chris Woolley. “Because of that, my time improved so much,” he said. “Whenever I compete with faster athletes, my times improve.” Owens, head coach at the Reliance Foundation’s High Performance Centre in Odisha, called it a “massive step up” for Kujur. “They don’t want to be the best in India, they want to be competing on a world stage,” he said.
When is the 2025 Monaco Diamond League scheduled for?
The 2025 Monaco Diamond League, featuring several top athletes, including India’s Animesh Kujur and Avinash Sable, is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 11 in France, Monaco at the the Stade Louis II stadium.
How to watch Animesh Kujur live at 2025 Monaco Diamond League?
For viewers in India, the live stream of proceedings will be streamed live on the official YouTube and Facebook channels of the Wanda Diamond League.The event will not be telecast live on TV channels in India.
When is Animesh Kujur’s event?
India’s Animesh Kujur is set to race in the men’s U-23 200m event on Friday at 11:17 PM IST. The 22-year-old will be competing against the likes of Australia’s Gout Gout.Avinash Sable, National record holder in the men’s 3000m steeplechase will also be in focus at 1:04 am IST, on Saturday, July 12.Kujur is aiming to breach the 20.16s World Championship qualification mark. “What I’m feeling now is I’m going to crack that time,” he said. “I used to give (Bolt’s) lightning strike pose after finishing first in India… Yeah, let’s see what will happen tomorrow!”
