Poznan (Poland): Indian middle-distance runner Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to run the men’s 800m in under 1 minute and 45 seconds. Competing at the Memoriał Czesława Cybulskiego athletics meet in Poznań, Poland, Afsal clocked a remarkable 1:44.93, breaking his own national record, reported the Ommcom News.
The 29-year-old athlete, who serves as a Junior Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force, had previously set the national record at 1:45.61 during the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai earlier this year. Despite finishing sixth in Heat A/1 in Poznań, Afsal’s performance was a personal best and a significant milestone for Indian athletics.
The top three spots in the heat were claimed by Polish runners, with Maciel Wyderka taking the lead with a meet record and personal best of 1:44.23, followed closely by Filip Ostrowski (1:44.25) and Patryk Sieradzki (1:44.26).
The Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver, is named after the renowned Polish coach Czesław Cybulski, a key figure in Poznań’s sports history.
Hailing from Palappuram in the Palakkad district of Kerala, Afsal trains in Bengaluru under the Reliance Foundation program. He has previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and another at the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal. His journey to fame began in 2013 when he clinched gold at the inaugural Asian School Track and Field Championships in Malaysia.
With this record-breaking run, Mohammed Afsal continues to raise the bar for Indian athletics on the global stage.
