Odisha Shines with Record-Breaking Performance in 22nd National Para Athletic Championship-2024

Panaji: Odisha bagged 9 medals with 4 gold and silver each in the 22nd National Para Athletic Championship-2024 held at GMC Athletic Stadium in Panaji, Goa. Suchitra Parida created history by breaking national records in Javelin throw while Jayanti Behera was adjudged Best Female Athlete in the national event.

On the concluding day today, Odisha secured 4 gold and one bronze medal. Jayanti won gold in 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter race. In the women 100 meter T-47 category, she completed the race in 13.18 seconds while she took 26.92 second to cross 200 meter and 1:01.19 minute to finish 400 meter line to win triple gold for herself and for the state.

Suchitra made history by hitting 16.99 meter in javelin throw in F-55 category to create a national record and win the fourth gold for the day for the state. The record was in the name of Uttar Pradesh’s Sakshi Kasana who had the national recod at 14.73 meter in last year’s championship.

Gumda Barla secured bronze medal in T-54 Wheelchair 5000 meter running, which he finished in 19:50.85 minutes. Earlier, Odisha had won four silver medals courtesy Pankaj Bhuea who won 2 silver medals in long jump and 100 m race in T-13 categories, Kuntilata Barik (silver in wheelchair run 100m in F-54 category) and Kamala Kanta Nayak in javelin throw in F-53 category. As many as 29 players had represented Odisha in this year’s para athletic championship.