India’s 110m hurdler Tejas Shirse, 23, is extremely excited about the prospect of taking on top athletes at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, beginning from September 13.

“You need to feel the challenge; feel being pushed by your opponents. You don’t break world records at national level competitions because that challenge is not there. As a result, you don’t perform at your peak. Competing with better players helps you find that extra gear, and that’s what I’m hoping to unlock at this event,” says Shirse, who hails from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), and has quickly established himself as one of the country’s brightest prospects among track athletes. He broke Siddhanth Thingalaya’s National Record (13.48 seconds, set in 2017) in May last year, clocking 13.41 seconds in the 110m hurdles event at the Motonet Grand Prix in Finland.