Bhubaneswar

Reigning Asian champion and national record holder Gulveer Singh was unable to meet the Asian Games qualifying standard in the men’s 5000m race at the opening day of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships here on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Uttar Pradesh athlete, who won a 10,000m bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, finished first with a time of 13:52.92. However, his timing fell short of the Athletics Federation of India’s qualifying benchmark of 13:39.18.

His performance was also significantly slower than his personal best and national record of 13:03.93 set recently in Los Angeles. Earlier in February 2025, Gulveer had made history by becoming the first Indian to run the 5000m in under 13 minutes, clocking 12:59.77 in an indoor event, which also stood as an Asian record.

Currently training at high altitude in Colorado Springs under coach Scott Simmons with support from the Mission Olympic Cell, Gulveer has participated in seven events this season, all in the United States. The Inter-State Championships marked his first competitive appearance in India this year.

He has been selected for both the 5000m and 10,000m events in India’s 32-member squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Commenting on his run, Gulveer said he was not satisfied with his timing, adding that warm conditions and a new track affected his performance due to reduced grip and increased bounce. He also noted a lack of specific speed work on this surface.

“My coach decides my training and competition schedule. I am preparing for the CWG in the US,” he said.

He will also compete in the 1500m event on Saturday, a race he rarely runs, after clocking 3:37.87 recently abroad and 3:36.58 last year. Prior to his next event, he also underwent a dope test conducted by NADA officials.

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In the same race, Abhishek Pal of Uttar Pradesh secured silver in 13:54.18, while Punjab’s Harmanjot Singh finished third in 13:54.60.