Tehran, Iran: Jyothi Yarraji, an athlete supported by Reliance Foundation, secured India’s first medal at the ongoing Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, Iran, by winning the Gold in the 60m Hurdles event. Jyothi’s outstanding performance not only brought home the Gold but also set a new National Record with a remarkable timing of 8.12 seconds.
This triumph at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship marks a promising start to Jyothi’s 2024 season, surpassing her own National Record from the previous year’s edition in Kazakhstan, where she clinched the silver medal.
Expressing her joy and gratitude, Jyothi Yarraji stated, “The Asian Indoor Athletics Championship was a very good experience. It’s the start of the season and the first international competition of the season, so I am very happy with the performance. This gold medal is special. I was a little worried about the pain in the hamstring last week, but my team and physiotherapists at Reliance Foundation worked hard to make me competition-ready. I am thankful to the Odisha government and the Reliance Foundation for helping me prepare for the competition. I am happy with the way I have started the season.”
Jyothi underwent training at the Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium, where she also participated in the first Indoor Athletics Test Meet organized by Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Center. Her stellar performance in 2023 includes winning silver in the 100m hurdles event at the Asian Games and securing two medals at the Asian Championships.
James Hillier, Athletics Director at Reliance Foundation, expressed his satisfaction, saying, “It was a really good result for Jyothi; we did a 3-week training camp in Bhubaneswar. It was a very helpful session. She wanted to start the season on a good note. She had a small injury during her training, nothing serious but she couldn’t train for a week. Now she is back in form. This was a good race for her.”
Jyothi, scouted into the RF Athletics Program in 2021, has been a residential athlete at High-Performance Centers in Odisha and, more recently, at the RF National Athletics Centre based at the Jio Institute in Ulwe.
Out of the 15-member Indian contingent, seven athletes representing India at the Asian Indoor Championships are training at RF Centres across Ulwe (Sprints & Throws), Coonoor (Endurance), and Bhubaneswar (Jumps). The other Reliance Foundation athletes in action at the championships include E Baranica (Pole Vault), VK Elakkiyadasan (60m), Tejas Ashok Shirse (60m hurdles), Mohammed Afsal (800m), Gulveer Singh (3000m), and Dhanvir (Shot Put).
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