World University Games: 100m sprinters Manikanta, Gurindervir fail to impress

India’s campaign in the men’s 100m event at the World University Games 2025 ended in disappointment on July 21, as both Gurindervir Singh and Manikanta Hoblidar, two of the country’s leading sprinters, failed to qualify for the semifinals.

In Heat 7, Gurindervir Singh clocked a disappointing 11.00s, finishing fourth and outside the automatic qualification spots.

The Punjab sprinter, who made headlines earlier this year by clocking10.20s at the Indian Grand Prix, looked out of rhythm from the start and never quite found his top speed.

It was a surprising dip in form for the 100m specialist, who has consistently featured among India’s top sprinters in recent years. He placed 40th overall out of all Round 1 participants.

Meanwhile, Manikanta Hoblidar, the former national record holder with a 10.23s mark, delivered a more competitive but yet disappointing run in Heat 8, clocking 10.74s to finish third.

The qualification criteria stated that only the first two finishers in each heat, along with the next eight fastest overall, would advance to the semifinals.

Unfortunately, Manikanta’s timing did not meet the cut-off for fastest losers, and he too bowed out of the competition. He finished 26th overall among the field.

Nevertheless, both Gurindervir and Manikanta remain key figures in India’s campaign in Rhine-Ruhr.

Manikanta will return to action in the 200m event, where he will be joined by current national record holder Animesh Kujur. Gurindervir, meanwhile, will look to make an impact in the 4x100m relay later in the Games.