Indian hurdler Tejas Shirse, the national record holder in the 110-metre hurdles, has arrived at the threshold of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games with a single, unambiguous objective: winning. The 23-year-old from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is not chasing participation certificates — he is chasing podiums, and he says so without apology.

'All I care about is winning. The world will care about winning,' Shirse said in an exclusive interview ahead of the Commonwealth Games. 'I just want to go out there in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and just win — that is the only goal.'

The Records That Booked His Tickets

Shirse secured his CWG berth with a blistering 13.27 seconds at the Indian Athletics Series in Ludhiana — a new Indian national record that comfortably cleared the required standard of 13.39 seconds. He subsequently locked in his Asian Games qualification by clocking 13.43 seconds at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. Both marks arrived after one of the most testing recoveries in recent Indian athletics.

Mission Miracle: Back From a Broken Ankle

Just as Shirse was building peak competitive momentum, a severe collision with a hurdle left his ankle fractured in three to four places. He was sidelined for four months during a critical qualification window — a setback he described as devastating. 'Despite doing everything right, even though I didn't do anything wrong, something like this has happened to me,' he said.

His rehabilitation was led by the Reliance Foundation sports science team, comprising coach James Hillier, physiotherapist Nilesh Makwana, and strength and conditioning coach Kshitij Bhoite. Initially, the Commonwealth Games were considered an unrealistic target. Shirse reframed the challenge internally, calling it 'Mission Miracle' to keep himself motivated. He resumed training in mid-April, with qualification due by the end of May and early June.

After clocking 13.67 seconds and 13.50 seconds at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, he stripped away all external pressure at Ludhiana. 'I told myself that even if I lose from here, I can't go any lower than this. So why not just give yourself an opportunity to perform at your best?' When the trackside clock flashed 13.27 seconds, Mission Miracle had delivered.

Roots, Wooden Hurdles, and a Sport That 'Chose Him'

Shirse's competitive fire was forged in the absence of resources. Growing up in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he trained on wooden hurdles fashioned by hand, learning technique through internet tutorials. 'Hurdles chose me, not me choosing it,' he said, drawing a parallel between the obstacles on the track and the financial and family hardships of his early life.

That origin shapes his larger mission: to do for the 110m hurdles what Neeraj Chopra did for the javelin throw — make an unfamiliar discipline visible and beloved across India. 'People didn't even know about javelin throw before. But since Neeraj Chopra won an Olympics gold, then people came to know that there is a game called javelin throw. If I can do something extraordinary for India, people are going to recognise hurdles as well,' he said. He drew a further parallel with cricket's 1983 World Cup triumph as proof that India rallies around heroes who deliver on the biggest stages.

The Competition Ahead and the Mental Edge

The path to a medal at the Commonwealth Games runs through formidable opposition. The hurdles lineup features Caribbean powerhouses, including Demario Prince of Jamaica, while the Asian Games brings competition from Japan and China. Shirse's tactical response is deliberate tunnel vision. 'When I go on the track, I shut down myself — what is he or she doing, I just focus on myself,' he said. He trains daily alongside top Indian sprinters including Jyothi Yarraji, Gurindervir Singh, and Animesh Kujur, crediting the high-performance environment for keeping his competitive edge sharp.

His emotional equilibrium is equally deliberate. After breaking the national record in Ludhiana, he noted that within two to three hours the euphoria had settled. 'I am not very happy and I am not very sad if I win or lose — and I think that is helping me perform better,' he said. As the multi-sport season approaches, Tejas Shirse carries India's national record, a recovered ankle, and an uncompromising ambition onto the global stage.