Muhammed Anas is India’s fastest quarter-miler and he proved it once again in Indonesia as he won the silver medal in the men’s 400 metres at Jakarta and Palembang.
Anas, who topped the timing charts for the Heats and quarter-finals, came up just short in the finals, but did enough to win his first major international medal. For the man who narrowly missed out on a Commonwealth Games medal at Gold Coast, it was sweet redemption.
At the CWG, Anas had become the first Indian man in 60 years to enter the track final of a Commonwealth event. His first attempt at a major event, the Rio Olympics, had ended in disappointment as the youngster finished sixth in his heats.
The athlete from Kerala was also picked up by the Navy and provides for his family of three, including younger brother Anees, who is also into athletics.
The Nilamel-born sprinter was first a jumper, who was asked to take up running by Ansar, his first coach and then picked up by the Kerala Sports Council. His first medal at the national stage was a silver that the Kerala team won after Anas had anchored the relay squad.
The 23-year-old bounced back from Rio’s disappointment in style, winning double gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in 2017. Anas won the individual 400 metres as also anchored his team to the 4X400 metre relay gold.
The Kerala sprinter has also broken the national record several times, which now stands at 45.24, a time Anas had set earlier this year in European competition. Now firmly among Asia’s fastest men, the Nilamel Express shows no signs of slowing down.