Emanuel Kisku sets national record, wins gold

RANCHI: Jharkhand’s Emanuel Kisku won gold in the 80m hurdles at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai, setting a new national record of 10.10 seconds and improving the mark he had established earlier in the competition.

Kisku, a trainee at the residential boys’ athletics training centre operated by the Jharkhand government’s sports department at Sido Kanhu Stadium in Sahibganj, achieved the feat under the guidance of coach Yogesh Yadav.

The championships are being held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from October 23 to 27.

Kisku first broke the previous national record of 10.28 seconds, set by Bihar’s Rohit Raj at the 40th National Junior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in October 2025. Kisku clocked 10.17 seconds in his heat to establish a new record, according to the Jharkhand Athletics Association.

He then clocked 10.22 seconds in the semi-final before improving his own record to 10.10 seconds in the final to secure the gold medal.

Kerala’s Gaurish Vinay won silver in 10.11 seconds, while Rohit Raj of Bihar took bronze in 10.26 seconds.

The Jharkhand Athletics Association congratulated Kisku and his coach on the achievement. Association secretary S.K. Pandey issued the statement, which also conveyed congratulations from sports officials, association office-bearers and athletics supporters in the state.