Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday announced Rs25 lakh cash reward for athlete Kishore Jena who finished fifth in the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest.
“Kishore Jena’s remarkable journey and exceptional performance at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest have not only brought glory to our state and nation but would also inspire many athletes for years to come,” Patnaik said.
Jena’s participation in this championship not only represents a personal achievement but also showcases the sportsmanship and talent that Odisha has to offer to the world, the Chief Minister said.
It is worth noting that Kishore holds the distinction of being the first athlete from Odisha to compete in a final event at the World Athletics Championships.
The Odisha-born track and field athlete achieved his finest throw during his fifth attempt, reaching a distance of 84.77 meters.
Jena started off with a 75.70m throw, before throwing a distance of 82.82m in his second attempt. Jena managed to make it into the top-8 even after a fouled throw in his third attempt.
In the next round, Jena registered an 80.19m throw in his fourth attempt. The 27-year-old athlete proved his mettle in the international arena by launching his career-best throw in his fifth attempt. However, he registered a foul in last attempt.
This year marked a significant milestone as, for the first time; three Indian athletes were featured in the top eight positions in a single event at World Championships. While Neeraj Chopra made history by winning a gold medal, DP Manu claimed the sixth spot with a throw of 84.14 meters.
As for Manu, he started off with a 78.44m throw. He fouled in his second attempt, before registering a 83.72m throw to propel him into the top-8 and move on to the next round. In his fourth throw, Manu committed another foul, before throwing 83.48m and 84.14m in his fifth and sixth attempts respectively.
PNN