Pooja from Haryana and Sriteja from Telangana Break Records at National Junior Athletics
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Bhubaneswar, Dec 11 (NationPress) Pooja, a rising star from Haryana, has once again captured attention by setting a new national record in the U18 women's heptathlon at the ongoing 39th National Junior Athletics Championships hosted at Kalinga Stadium. Following her remarkable achievement of breaking her own national U18 women’s high jump record with a height of 1.85 meters on the first day of the heptathlon, Pooja secured the gold medal in the multi-discipline event with a record-breaking score of 5102 points, surpassing the former record of 4357 points established by R. Khatun in 2024. With this victory, Pooja's gold medal count has now reached two, as she is also the champion of the U18 women’s high jump.
Meanwhile, Sriteja Tholem from Telangana also surpassed the previous national record of 5087 points but finished in second place. Khushi from Haryana clinched the bronze with a score of 4350 points.
Haryana dominated the overall competition, while athletes from the Reliance Foundation also shone brightly, amassing a total of 12 medals, which included eight gold and the establishment of two meet records.
On the final day of the championships, Reliance Foundation showcased their prowess by claiming four gold medals during the evening session, thanks to Omkar Prasad Nanda (U18 men’s shot put), DM Jayaram (men’s 200m), Sakshi Chavan (women’s 200m), and Laxmipriya Kisan (women’s 800m).
DM Jayaram, a triple gold medallist, expressed his joy at winning three gold medals in his final year of U20 competitions. "I achieved my personal best in the 100m and was also part of the team that set a meet record in the 4x100m relay. Winning three gold medals is a significant achievement for a sprinter, and I am thrilled to have accomplished this. Competing in front of my home state audience makes this experience even more special. The support from the Odisha government and Reliance Foundation has been invaluable, granting me access to top-notch coaching and support staff. I am now focusing on the upcoming National Games and the World University Games next year, with the goal of excelling there," he stated.
Sakshi, Jayaram, and Astik Pradhan were dominant in the sprinting events, with both Sakshi and Jayaram winning gold in the 100m and 200m events. Jayaram and Astik were also integral members of the Odisha men’s 4x100m relay team, which clinched gold in a record time of 41.10 seconds. The relay quartet also included Mahendra Santa and Rajendra Sidhu.
In the men’s 100m final, Jayaram clocked a new personal best of 10.50 seconds, while Sakshi matched her personal best of 11.86 seconds in the women’s race. Sandeep Gond contributed to the medal tally by finishing first in the men’s 110m hurdles with a time of 14.02 seconds.
Overall, the Reliance Foundation athletes secured a total of 12 medals, including eight gold, two silver, and two bronze.
