“After completing this race, I feel like I can do a little better to achieve the World Championship qualifying mark,” said Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath, the 29-year-old sprinter from Palakkad district in Kerala, who broke a national record that had stood for seven years. Despite struggling with consistency and falling short of his personal bests earlier in the year, Afsal’s resilient mindset kept him focused on self-improvement. After seven gruelling years of dedication, he finally surpassed the national benchmark of 1:45.65 by clocking 1:45.61.
When Jinson Johnson had set this as the national record during the Guwahati Inter State Championships in 2018, Afsal had set his then personal best of 1:46.79 in the same race. In an open conversation with Revsportz, Afsal now opens up about his journey, the struggle for consistency, and what lies ahead.
Can you walk us through that race in Dubai – What was going through your mind during the final stretch?
Afsal: First of all, I’m very happy to have broken the national record. I felt well-prepared for this competition, and after finishing the race, I genuinely felt that I had run really well. I was eagerly waiting for the time to be displayed, and when I saw that it was a national record, it was an incredible moment. I’ve been aiming for this since 2018, so, it took seven years to get here. Yes, I’m truly happy and proud to have finally achieved it.
[On the last stretch] From the first lap itself, I felt the race was going very fast. So then I was catching up to the Kenyan guy, and one South African guy was also in front of me. Both of them — the Kenyan guy has run 1:44, and the South African guy recently ran 1:45 at high altitude. So I knew they were better than me.
I was matching up with them, I was just following them. I felt very comfortable during the race, totally in control, just sticking behind them. Then, when I kicked in the last 100 metres, I felt like I could beat them. I overtook the South African guy, and in the last 10 metres, I got really close to the Kenyan guy.
You were just milliseconds behind the winner from Kenya, Nicholas Kiplagat. What do you think made the difference in the end?
Afsal: In the last 10 metres, I actually slowed down. I could have easily caught up, but in those final 10 metres, I made a mistake. Next time, I have to improve on that. I just slowed down a bit after seeing the finish line. So in the next race, I won’t let that happen. I can aim for a better time. There was also some disturbance during the race, but I still think I can do a little better than this.
You broke a long-standing record held by Jinson Johnson. What does that achievement mean to you personally and professionally? And did Jinson reach out to you after you broke the record?
Afsal: He took the national record in the same race where I was also competing, and I finished in third position. In that competition, I also achieved my personal best. From that time, Jenson bhai has been a great inspiration for me. Since then, I’ve been planning to take this record.
Yes He [Jinson Johnson] called me, he has been a very close friend of mine since 2015, and I was very happy. Then he said, ‘You’re deserving — your hard work finally pays off like that’.
How do you look at the World Championship Qualifying mark of 1:44.50?
Afsal: After completing this race, even I feel like I can do a little better — like, nearly, I can do much more. So, if I’m targeting, there are two options: direct qualification or through rankings. I have to qualify by achieving the direct timing only. I’m just working on it. If I get good competitions abroad, I’ll definitely do it. My training and everything is going well. My coach is supporting me, and Reliance Foundation is also providing good facilities and everything. So, I’ll do my best.
What are your key targets for the rest of the 2025 season — both in terms of competitions and timings?
Afsal: I have to improve my timing. I have to reduce it. I have the capacity to achieve a better time than this. So I’m just targeting a better timing. There will be a lot of Continental Tour competitions in Europe, so I have to participate in those. Reliance will take care of that. I want to be an Olympian as well — I want to be in the final. That’s my dream. Till then, I’ll do my best.
You’re now India’s fastest ever in the 800m. What message would you give to young middle-distance runners in the country?
Afsal: We can do it at the international level. Hum kam nahi hai, woh Neeraj Chopra bhai ne prove kiya hai. To be honest, Neeraj bhai ne ek message hi diya hai ki humse bhi hoga — ek Olympic medal aur itna accha performance diya tah. Indian sports ko woh Neeraj Chopra ke ek medal ne bhot motivate kar diya hai sab accha karne chhate hai.
So abhi coming year mein hum bhi internationally top level mein aaega. Hope hai. Neeraj already proved that. [We can compete at the international level. We’re not any less — Neeraj Chopra bhai has proven that. To be honest, Neeraj bhai has sent a message that even we can do it — he won an Olympic medal and delivered such a great performance. His one medal has motivated everyone in Indian sports to do better. So in the coming year, we too will rise to the top level internationally. There’s hope. Neeraj Chopra has already proven it.]
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