Odisha govt felicitates javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena for his performance in World Athletics Championships

He is the first athlete from the state to reach the finals of the competition.

Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, felicitated Kishore Kumar Jena with a cash award of Rs. 50 lakhs for his outstanding performance in Javelin throw and reaching the finals of the prestigious World Athletics Championship that recently concluded in Budapest, Hungary. This is the first time that an Odisha athlete has reached this level.

In a historic first for the World Athletics Championships, three Indian athletes secured their positions in the men's Javelin final that included Kishore from Odisha. He further strengthened his position in the javelin world when he finished fifth with a personal best of 84.77m and made his state very proud while also making an impression on the Athletics fraternity of the world.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik highly praised Kishore Kumar Jena's incredible achievement and congratulated Kishore on his remarkable accomplishment and presented him with a cash award of Rs. 50 lakhs.

Chief Minister Patnaik said, "Kishore Kumar Jena's success is not just his own; it is a source of pride for all of us in Odisha. His remarkable journey to the finals of the World Athletics Championship serves as an inspiration to our youth and a testament to the talent that our state possesses. We are committed to supporting and nurturing such talent in the field of sports."

Earlier in the day, at a felicitation ceremony held at Kalinga Stadium, Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Sports Secretary Vineel Krishna and Sports Director Siddhartha Das felicitated Kishore Jena and his coaches of Odisha from his hostel days in Bhubaneswar, as a gesture of appreciation and encouragement.

Athletes and coaches of the Sports Hostel and Athletics HPC along with Sports & Youth Services Department officials present at this ceremony were deeply motivated to meet and interact with Kishore who exchanged words of encouragement with the young athletes in the audience.