The 23-year-old broke the KIUG Meet Record at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium with 14.32 seconds, winning gold as competitors finished mere thousandths of a second behind
JAIPUR
CB Shintomon’s inspiring journey reached a high point as he broke the men’s 110m hurdles record at the Khelo India University Games 2025. What makes his achievement remarkable is that he discovered athletics only four years ago. Until 2021, he had never stepped on a synthetic track. His days were filled with studies, school football games, and occasional labour in cardamom plantations near his home in Erattayar, Kerala.
His life changed when Kerala Sports Council Academy coach Baiju Joseph noticed him during a football match. Impressed by his natural strength, Baiju encouraged him to try athletics. After testing events like the 400m and high jump, Shintomon finally found his true fit in the 110m hurdles. His progress since then has been fast and impressive.
The 23-year-old stunned the crowd at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium by clocking 14.32 seconds, breaking the KIUG Meet Record and winning gold for Mahatma Gandhi University. The race was intense, with Shivaji University’s Vikas Ananda Khodke and University of Calicut’s Rahil Sakeer VP finishing only thousandths of a second behind him.
For Shintomon, the victory means more than a medal. Growing up in a family with no sports background, he received little exposure or support. His father, a painter earning daily wages, still knows only a little about his sporting success. Shintomon says the belief shown by his coach and college kept him going.
Though proud of his record-breaking run, he remains focused on improving. He aims to beat Tejas Shirse’s national record of 13.41 seconds and hopes to represent India internationally. Now training under Juilius J Manayani at St. Dominic’s College, he is preparing for a busy 2026 season, motivated to push his limits even further.
