Gurindervir Singh: Who Is India's New Fastest Man and Punjab's Flying Sikh-2
Gurindervir Singh, fastest Indian, from Jalandhar clocked 10.09 seconds at Federation Cup 2026 to become India’s fastest ever sprinter. Here’s the full story of the turbaned Sikh athlete Punjab is calling the new Flying Sikh.
North Desk Correspondent
Chandigarh, May 24
When Gurindervir Singh crossed the finish line at Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi on Saturday, the echoes of another era rang out across Indian athletics. Decades ago, Pakistan President General Ayub Khan had watched Milkha Singh burn past Abdul Khaliq — the fastest man in Asia — and declared: “Milkha ji, you didn’t run in Pakistan, you flew.” The legend of the Flying Sikh was born.
On May 23, 2026, Punjab gave India its next one.
The national 100m record fell three times in under 24 hours. When the dust settled at the 29th National Senior Federation Competition, it was Gurindervir Singh who stood tallest — the first Indian sprinter to breach the 10.10-second barrier, clocking a stunning 10.09 seconds in the final. His time of 10.09 seconds is also the second fastest by any Asian sprinter this season, behind only 19-year-old Japanese sprinter Fukuto Komuro who ran 10.08 seconds in May.
India had a new fastest man. And Punjab had a new hero.
Gurindervir Singh Fastest Man: A Village Boy From Bhogpur
Behind Gurindervir Singh fastest record lies a story that begins in a village few have heard of. Gurindervir Singh, 25, is from Patial — a nondescript village in Bhogpur town on the outskirts of Jalandhar. His father, Kamaljit Singh, was an Assistant Sub-Inspector who played volleyball at the national level. He recognised the spark in his son early.
In Class VI, Gurindervir was admitted to Guru Nanak Mission School at Dalla — over 13 kilometres from their village. In Class X, he moved to Cambridge School in Jalandhar and began training under coach Sarabjit Singh Happy. After that, there was no looking back.
The commute was gruelling. Every day, young Gurindervir travelled long hours for training and returned home exhausted. When he told his father he wasn’t getting time to rest, Kamaljit bought him a second-hand scooter for Rs 5,000 — on EMI — so he could save time and energy. It was a small gesture that perhaps changed Indian athletics.
The Record That Kept Breaking
The Federation Cup 2026 in Ranchi was a dramatic two-day affair. On Friday, Gurindervir first shattered the existing national mark of 10.18 seconds — held by Animesh Kujur of Odisha — clocking 10.17 seconds in the opening semifinal. Minutes later, Animesh responded in the next semifinal with a stunning 10.15 seconds, reclaiming the record.
In fact, Animesh had first taken the record from Gurindervir in July last year. Saturday’s final was, in that sense, a reckoning.
Gurindervir returned to produce an even faster run in the final — 10.09 seconds — becoming the first Indian sprinter to dip below the 10.10-second mark. That was Gurindervir Singh fastest effort! Animesh finished second in 10.20 seconds, with Pranav Gurav taking bronze in 10.29 seconds. Both Gurindervir and Animesh secured qualification for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where they will represent India in the men’s 100m.
Navy, Reliance, and an English Coach
Gurindervir Singh, fastest Indian, currently serves with Indian Navy, a common path for elite Indian athletes who train under sports quota. His recent leap in performance owes much to a pivotal intervention: Reliance Foundation selected him for specialised training in Mumbai under English coach James Hiller, approximately six months ago. The results speak for themselves.
His medal haul before this breakthrough was already impressive. He had won gold at the 2017 Youth Asia Championships, silver at the 2019 South Asian Games, bronze at the 2018 Junior Asia Championships in the relay event, and gold at the Euro-Asian Championships. He was always among India’s best. Now he is India’s fastest.
Akal Takht Blesses, Punjab Celebrates
The resonance of Gurindervir’s achievement — a turbaned Sikh from rural Punjab running faster than any Indian before him — was not lost on the community’s highest seat of religious authority.
Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj congratulated Gurindervir, saying the Sikh community feels proud of the achievement of the turbaned Sikh athlete and describing it as a source of inspiration for Sikh youth across the world. He also appealed to young people to remain engaged in education, sports, honest work, and selfless service — and to stay away from drugs. The Jathedar has also recommended the SGPC formally honour Gurindervir.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also joined in the congratulations on social media.
A Father’s Dream — and a Pointed Demand
For Kamaljit Singh, Saturday’s record was the reward for years of silent sacrifice. His dream now is simple and singular: to see his son win an Olympic medal for India.
But he also had a pointed message for the state government. Despite his son having reached the very pinnacle of Indian sprinting, the Punjab government has not given Gurindervir a government job. “The Punjab government must give him a job,” the father said plainly.
The Flying Sikh — Then and Now
Milkha Singh’s moniker came from a Pakistani president watching him fly past his country’s fastest man in a 200m race in 1960. Milkha’s 400m timing of 45.73 seconds at the 1960 Rome Olympics stood as a national record for four decades. He never won an Olympic medal — the one ghost that stayed with him for life. He passed away in 2021 at 91, his legacy still flying high.
Gurindervir Singh is a 100m man, not a 400m man. The events are different, the era is different. But the image — a turbaned Sikh from Punjab, running faster than anyone thought possible, carrying an entire community’s pride on his shoulders — is the same.
India has waited 65 years for another Flying Sikh. Patial village, Bhogpur, Jalandhar, has just produced one.
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