C.K. Fasalul Haque wins under-20 110m hurdles at 41st National junior athletics championships in Chennai

C.K. Fasalul Haque won the under-20 men’s 110m hurdles at the 41st National junior athletics championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 25, 2026, clocking 13.70 seconds. He recovered from a mid-race setback to take gold despite a false start and a steady drizzle combined with a mild breeze and cool conditions.

The 18-year-old from Malappuram entered the race holding the national under-20 record of 13.61s, set in Pune in June. After the race he said he had aimed for a faster time: “I was expecting to clock 13.40. I got a good lead, but in between, I hit a hurdle. I don’t know what happened after that,” Fasalul told The Hindu. He contrasted the day’s conditions with Pune, adding: “In Pune, the conditions were nice. I had a good warm-up and my body was warm. Today, I was feeling cold and couldn’t warm up properly,” said the 18-year-old.

Fasalul fell behind midway through the final but closed strongly to secure victory. “I don’t usually get good starts. I start pushing after the fifth or sixth hurdle. Even today, I was behind around 50 to 60 metres, but I managed to come back”, he said. The recovery underlined his ability to regain ground over the hurdles after a poor start.

He took up athletics at 15, initially competing in the 100m before his first coach encouraged him to try hurdles. The move to the taller u-20 hurdles proved difficult at first, he said, but he grew comfortable with the height after a couple of months. Those early months of adjustment preceded his national under-20 record and Sunday’s title.

For now, the youngster has his sights set on another mark, this time at the senior level. “I want to run below 13 seconds at the senior level and become the first Indian to do it. I’m 100 per cent sure I can”, he said.