Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath became the first Indian to run the men’s 800 metres in under 1 minute 45 seconds. He clocked 1:44.93 at the Memoriał Czesława Cybulskiego in Poznań, Poland on Saturday, setting a new national record.
The 29-year-old athlete from Palappuram, Palakkad in Kerala finished sixth in a highly competitive race. But his timing—1:44.93—smashed his own national record of 1:45.61, which he had set just earlier this year at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.
“Breaking 1:45 has been a dream,” Afsal said after the race. “To finally do it, and that too in such a strong field, is very special. This is just the beginning.”
The top three spots in the race were taken by Polish runners. Maciel Wyderka won the heat in 1:44.23—his personal best and a meet record. Filip Ostrowski and Patryk Sieradzki followed closely behind.
The event is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver and honours late coach Czesław Cybulski, a legendary figure in Polish athletics.
Afsal, a Junior Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force, trains with the Reliance Foundation in Bengaluru. He has steadily climbed the ranks in Indian middle-distance running since winning gold at the first Asian School Track and Field Championships in 2013.
He later clinched silver medals in the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“This record is not just mine,” Afsal said. “It belongs to everyone who believed in me—from my coaches in Kerala to my teammates in Bengaluru and the Air Force.”
