Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Thursday mourned the death of two young athletes from Odisha, Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malaya Barik, who died in a road accident on Kataka-Bhubaneswar National Highway near Phulnakhara the previous night.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of athletes Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malaya Barik in a road accident. Their untimely passing is a profound loss to Odisha’s sporting fraternity. My heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families. May Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath grant them strength in this difficult time and eternal peace to the departed souls,” the CM posted on X.
According to sources, the accident took place around 10.30 pm. Both athletes were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
Dondapati had emerged to prominence as one of the nation’s fastest under-23 sprinters, while Barik specialised in the 400-metre event. Dondapati had won gold in the Men’s 200m at the Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition, while Barik clinched gold in the Men’s U-20 400m at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in March 2026. Dondapati was also the star performer in the 22nd National Junior (U-20) Federation Athletics Championship as he won the men’s 100m and 200m in 10.67 seconds and 21.59 seconds, respectively. The duo had been training at the High Performance Centre inside the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Their untimely deaths have plunged Odisha’s sporting community into deep mourning.
Expressing profound sorrow over the demise of young athletes, Odisha Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj wrote: “The sudden loss of our sports icons is heartbreaking. May Lord Jagannath give their families the immense strength and comfort they need in this hour of grief.”
