The New Milkha! India’s Fastest Man Gurindervir Singh

Gurindervir Singh etched his name into Indian athletics history at the Indian Grand Prix-1 in Bengaluru, shattering the national 100m record with a blazing time of 10.20 seconds. The achievement outpaced the previous record holder, Manikanta Hoblidhar, who clocked 10.22 seconds to claim silver and join Gurindervir in qualifying for the Asian Athletics Championships. With his muscular frame and dynamic, explosive strides, Gurindervir’s performance captivated onlookers, though the sprinter himself remained unshaken, viewing the milestone as a long-awaited triumph.

Singh’s journey to this record has been anything but smooth. In 2021, at just 21 years old, he posted a personal best of 10.27 seconds, signaling his potential. However, a debilitating digestive condition struck in 2022, thinning his stomach’s mucous lining and hindering nutrient absorption, forcing him off the track for an extended period. He spent 2023 rebuilding his strength, and by 2024, he roared back to form, securing titles at the Federation Cup and Inter-State Championship. Yet, it wasn’t until he joined the Reliance Foundation that he reclaimed—and surpassed—his earlier speed.

Speaking to ESPN, Gurindervir attributed his record-breaking run not just to the training at Reliance Foundation, but to the holistic support it provides. “The nutrition, physiotherapy, masseurs, and structured training patterns have made the difference,” he said, adding that “the full results of the training are still to come.” Having joined the program just seven months ago, he initially struggled to adapt to its intensity. “Before the National Games, I was down,” he admitted. “I doubted myself, thinking I couldn’t handle the practice or perform on the track.” Under the guidance of coach James Hillier and alongside top sprinters like Manikanta and Amlan Borgohain—who took third at the Grand Prix with 10.43 seconds—Gurindervir has since found his rhythm.

His earlier days in Jalandhar painted a starkly different picture. As the lone senior athlete among juniors, he lacked the resources to train effectively. “I’d position the juniors ahead of me in block starts just to push myself,” he recalled. Without access to proper nutrition, physiotherapy, or massage therapy, injuries were a constant threat. Living conditions compounded the challenge: substandard water from an unmaintained tank forced him to buy bottled water, and during the 2021 Inter-State Championship—where he ran his 10.27-second mark—he stayed in a half-renovated house with no air conditioning or fans after a transformer fire. When his health faltered in 2022, he navigated a maze of misdiagnoses from various medical practitioners before his coach, Happy Singh, connected him with a doctor who pinpointed the issue.

Today, Gurindervir thrives with the support of Reliance Foundation’s structured system. “I’m eating salads now,” he chuckled, a far cry from managing his own diet in Jalandhar. A team of experts now oversees his nutrition—carbs in the morning and afternoon, fiber and protein at night—and training volume, freeing him to refine his technique. “I didn’t even know about running posture before,” he said. “I thought it was just about speed. Now I’m learning how to lift weights properly, how much volume to do—it’s all planned out.” He believes he’s only tapped into 10% of the foundation’s resources and is eager to iron out flaws for greater gains.

Gurindervir’s resolve has been unshakable from the start. As a young athlete, he defied coaches who urged him to abandon the 100m, claiming it wasn’t suited for Indians. “I was determined to prove them wrong,” he said. Inspired by Neeraj Chopra’s transformative impact on javelin throw, Gurindervir envisions a similar legacy in sprinting. “Before Neeraj, people said javelin wasn’t for Indians. Now look at the talent emerging,” he noted. “If I can hit 10.10 or even 10 flat, others will follow, breaking 10.20 too.” Despite once facing a grim prognosis from his father—that his illness might end his career—Gurindervir now stands as India’s fastest man, with his eyes firmly set on international acclaim.