NEW DELHI: India’s middle-distance runner Mohammed Afsal scripted history on Friday by breaking the long-standing men’s 800m national record at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai. The 29-year-old clocked an impressive 1:45.61s to surpass the previous record of 1:45.65s set by Jinson Johnson in 2018.Afsal’s performance earned him a second-place finish at the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level meet, held at the Dubai Police Stadium.He was narrowly edged out by Kenya’s Nicholas Kiplagat, who won the race with a time of 1:45.38.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While Afsal’s timing fell just short of the 2025 World Athletics Championships automatic qualification mark of 1:44.50, it marked a significant improvement in his personal best and reaffirmed his status as one of India’s top middle-distance athletes. The Kerala athlete had earlier clinched a silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1:48.43.Meanwhile, another Indian national record holder, Animesh Kujur, continued his fine form by winning the men’s 200m in 20.45 seconds. Although slightly slower than his record-breaking 20.40 run at the 2025 Federation Cup, it was enough to secure gold in Dubai. Amlan Borgohain, the former national record holder, finished fifth with a timing of 21.08 seconds.The meet offered a promising outlook for Indian athletics as the country’s top runners build momentum ahead of a crucial international season.