Long Stride: Odisha’s Sreeshankar Breaks National Record In Long Jump

Bhubaneswar: Sreeshankar from Bhubaneswar broke the National record in Men’s Long Jump at the ongoing 58th National Open Athletics Championship, at Kalinga Stadium here on Thursday.

He jumped a distance of 8.20 metres. The set record earlier was 8.19 meters by Ankita Sharma from Almaty.

The championship kicked off on September 25 with races, javelin throw and other games. A total of 805 athletes from all the states, including 15 from Odisha, are participating in the four-day event.

Prominent Odisha athletes who took part in the event are international sprinter Amiya Mallick and promising sprinter Parbati Sethi. Besides, Purnima Hembram and Jauna Murmu are representing the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The duo is currently working for ONGC.

Asian Games Gold medalist Arpinder Singh is the star attraction at the Championships and of the triple jump event slated for Friday.

However, Asian Gold medalist and javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, sprinters Dutee Chand and Hima Das are not participating in the event.

The championships, being organised by the State Sports and Youth Affairs Department, will conclude on September 28.