National Para Athletics: Odisha Win 1 Gold, 2 Bronze

Jagamohan Das, Ananya Swain, Jayaprakash Barik

Bhubaneswar: Odisha made a modest start in the 13th National Junior (U-19) & Sub-Junior (U-17) Para Athletics Championship 2024, winning one gold and two bronze medals on the opening day at Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, Karnataka, on Tuesday.

Ananya Swain bagged the gold medal in U-17 girls F-56 shot put throw with an effort of 4.41 metres. Jayaprakash Barik secured the first medals for Odisha with a bronze in U-19 mens F-36 javelin throw, hurling the spear to a distance of 30.07 metres.

The other bronze medal for Odisha was claimed by Jagamohan Das in U-17 boys F-36 shot put, throwing the iron ball to a distance of 7.16 metres. Para Sports Association of Odisha (PSAO) has fielded a total of 15 para athletes in the three-day National championship.

Odisha squad was accompanied by coach Markanda Reddy, escorts Bankim Chandra Mohanty, Purna Chandra Sethi and guide runner Ramdas Murmu. Odisha Government has provided support to the Odisha squad.