Over the last three years, Tejas Ashok Shirse has been the flag bearer of Indian men’s 110m hurdles. After overcoming a significant ankle injury earlier this year, Tejas has returned to produce the fastest performances of his career, earning his maiden Commonwealth Games selection. The 24-year-old from Maharashtra heads to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the country’s national record holder in both the 110m hurdles and the indoor 60m hurdles. Early days Born on June 4, 2002, in Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar), Maharashtra, Tejas did not begin his sporting career on the athletics track. He initially trained as a gymnast, developing balance, flexibility and coordination that would later become key strengths in hurdling. Limited infrastructure during his early years meant he often trained using homemade wooden hurdles while honing his technique. The unconventional training environment laid the foundation for a career that has steadily taken him to the top of Indian sprint hurdling. Rising through the ranks Tejas gradually established himself as one of India’s leading hurdlers through consistent performances on the …