Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday felicitated javelin star Kishore Kumar Jena with a cash award of Rs 1.5 crore for his stellar performance in the recently-concluded Asian Games in China.
Jena, a resident of Puri district, bagged silver in the Asian Games and sealed his berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He attained a personal best of 87.54 meters to secure the silver medal.
The chief minister said that Jena made the state proud, and expressed confidence that he would bring more laurels in the future.
Jena thanked Patnaik for recognising his efforts and expressed his gratitude to the state government for supporting sportspersons.
Patnaik also announced that the state government will support him for the Paris Olympics.
Before the Asian Games, Jena bagged fifth place at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. For that, the state government gave him a cash award of Rs 50 lakh.
State Sports Minister TK Behera had felicitated Jena at a programme in the Kalinga Sports Complex Monday.
PTI