Bhubaneswar: Ten promising Odisha athletes will showcase their talents at the 4th Indian Open U-23 Athletics Competition 2024, which will be held from September 28 to 30 in Patna.
All 10 athletes train at the Odisha RF Athletics High-Performance Centre.
The team comprises of — Animesh Kujur and Reyan Basha (100m and 200m), Abhisekh Dalabehera and Sukhi Baskey (100m), Astik Pradhan (400m), Jashbir Nayak (decathlon), Laxmipriya Kisan and Dayanidhi Munda (800m), Nikhil Kumar Das (high jump) and Susmita Tigga (3000m steeplechase).
Martin Owens, Head Coach at Odisha RF Athletics High-Performance Centre, exuded optimism about his wards’ performance.
“This group of athletes has been putting in tremendous effort, and their dedication is evident in their recent performances. Each one of them has a great chance to make their mark at the U-23 competition. The hard work they’ve put in at our High-Performance Centre will reflect in their results, and we’re confident that they’ll make Odisha proud,” said Martins.
Performances at the Indian Open are important because it will serve as qualification for the senior SAAF Championships to be held in Ranchi next month.
in the SAAF Junior Championships held at Chennai recently, Odisha’s Pratik Maharana, Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram, Mahendra Santa, Sabita Toppo and Laxmi Priya Kisan won 4 silver and 1 bronze for India in individual and team events.