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Indian hurdler and Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS)-supported athlete Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan heads into the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow full of confidence, drawing belief from his recent international performances, including appearances at the Paris Olympics and the Asian Athletics Championships.

The 28-year-old, who was part of India's 4x400m relay squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2026, winning bronze in the 400m hurdles and gold in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Asian Athletics Championships while lowering his personal best to 49.06 seconds. Earlier this year, he also claimed victory at the Indian Athletics Series in Thiruvananthapuram, underlining the consistency that has defined his recent performances, according to a press release from the IIS.

'Every Championship is a New Beginning'

With confidence growing from a string of strong international results, Santhosh now prepares for his Commonwealth Games campaign, hoping to continue the momentum he has built over the last two seasons. As India's athletics contingent looks to make its mark in Glasgow, the Tamil Nadu hurdler is focused on producing his best performance yet on another major international stage. Speaking ahead of the Games, Santhosh says the experiences of the past two years have strengthened his belief while reminding him that every competition presents a fresh challenge. "The last two years have been very important for me as an athlete. Competing at the Olympics and then performing well at the Asian Championships has given me a lot of confidence, but every championship is a new beginning. The Commonwealth Games is another opportunity to represent India, and my focus is on running my own race and giving my best. I don't want to think too much about the result. If I can execute my race the way we've prepared for, I'll be happy with my performance," he said.

The Support System at IIS

Santhosh believes the support system around him has been instrumental in helping him prepare for another major championship, crediting the Inspire Institute of Sport for allowing him to focus entirely on his development. "My preparation has been very good leading into the Commonwealth Games. Spending time at the Inspire Institute of Sport has helped me improve in every area, whether it's technical work, strength and conditioning, recovery or sports science. At this level, it's the small improvements that make the biggest difference, and having the coaches and support staff at Inspire Institute of Sport constantly pushing me to improve gives me a lot of confidence. It allows me to focus completely on my training and arrive at competitions feeling well prepared," he added.

Trusting the Process

Having steadily lowered his timings over the past year, including a personal best of 49.06 seconds this season, Santhosh says his biggest takeaway has been learning to trust the process. "Every season teaches you something new. This year I've been able to improve my timings and perform consistently, and that gives me confidence. But I don't think too much about personal bests once the race is over. The goal is always to keep improving because that's the only way to compete with the best athletes in the world. I enjoy that process and I want to continue building on it," he said.

Pride in Representing India

As he prepares to wear the Indian jersey once again, Santhosh says representing the country remains the biggest honour of his career. "Representing India is always the proudest feeling for any athlete. Every time I step onto the track wearing the Indian colours, I know I'm competing for something much bigger than myself. I'm grateful to my family, coaches and everyone who has supported me throughout my journey. At the Commonwealth Games, my aim is to give everything I have on the track and make the country proud," he said.

With an Olympic appearance already behind him and the finest season of his career propelling him into Glasgow, Santhosh arrives at the Commonwealth Games eager to continue his upward trajectory. The Games present another opportunity for the 28-year-old to establish himself among the continent's leading 400m hurdlers while adding another significant milestone to his steadily growing career.