Odisha Para Athlete Jayanti Behera Bags Second Medal In Jakarta

Bhubaneswar: Athlete Jayanti Behera has won more laurels for Odisha and the country at the ongoing Asian Para Games-2018 in Jakarta.

She bagged silver by clocking 59.71 seconds in 400 m sprint event on Thursday.

China’s Li Lu clinched the gold with a timing of 58.39 seconds, Japan’s Shigemoto Sae clocked 59.74 seconds to win bronze medal.

Jayanti had bagged a bronze medal in 200 m race on Tuesday. Jayanti grabbed the third spot with a timing of 27.45 seconds. China’s Li Lu came first clocking 25.82 seconds and Wang Yanping, also of China, second with 26.45 seconds.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday had announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for Jayanti. He also congratulated her and said that Odisha was proud of her achievement.

Jayanti, whose left hand and waist were burnt in a fire mishap when she was just one-year-old, had won the silver medal in 100-meter race at Asian Youth Para Games-2017 in Dubai.

A native of Sakhigopal Gurukul in Puri district, she had earlier clinched gold in 400 m race at the World Junior Para Athletic Championships held in Nottwil, Switzerland, in August 2017 and also at the China Open Para Athletics Grand Prix.