Dubai, May 9: Asian Games silver medallist Mohammed Afsal on Friday broke the seven-year-old 800m national record while finishing second at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix event here. The 29-year-old Afsal clocked 1 minute and 45.61 seconds to erase the earlier national record of 1:45.65s set by Jinson Johnson in 2018. Neeraj Chopra to Skip as Avinash Sable, Jyothi Yarraji Lead Indian Contingent at Asian Athletics Championships 2025.

Afsal finished behind Kenya's Nicholas Kiplagat, who clocked 1:45.38s to win the race in the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level competition held at Dubai Police Stadium. He, however, could not breach the 2025 World Championships automatic qualification time of 1.44.50s. Athletics Head Coach Ramesh Nagpuri Suspended for ‘Complicity’ in Doping, Seven Athletes for ‘Evading’ Test.

Afsal had won a silver in 800m at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1:48.43s. National record holder Animesh Kujur won the 200m race in a time of 20.45 seconds. He had clocked 20.40 seconds during the 2025 Federation Cup to break Amlan Borgohain's previous national record of 20.52 created three years ago. Borgohain finished fifth on Friday with a timing of 21.08s.

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