Odisha athletes made a strong mark at the Indian Open Throws Competition held in Patiala with young shot putter Omkar Prasad Nanda leading the medal tally for the state. The 18 year old athlete secured the gold medal in the Men’s Under 20 Shot Put event with an outstanding throw of 17.85 metres. His remarkable effort placed him well ahead of his competitors and highlighted his growing stature in Indian athletics. Haryana’s Harshit Gahlot finished second in the event with a throw of 17.02 metres while Delhi athlete Yash Chhikara secured third place with a close attempt of 17.01 metres.

Apart from Omkar’s gold medal victory, Odisha athletes also added two silver medals and one bronze to the state’s tally at the competition. In the Women’s Hammer Throw event, Divya Shandilya delivered a strong performance to claim the silver medal with a best throw of 53.31 metres. The gold medal in this event was won by Uttar Pradesh athlete Tanya Chaudhary who registered an impressive throw of 61.09 metres to secure the top spot.

Another silver medal for Odisha came in the Women’s Under 20 Hammer Throw event where Ankita Mohapatra achieved a throw of 45.49 metres. Her performance placed her second in the competition, finishing behind Haryana athlete Khushi who won the gold medal with a throw of 49.45 metres.

Meanwhile, experienced javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena also contributed to Odisha’s medal haul by winning a bronze medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw event. Kishore recorded a throw of 74.75 metres to finish third in the competition. The athlete has been working to regain his peak form after an exceptional 2023 season in which he won a silver medal at the Asian Games.

The achievements of these athletes at the Indian Open Throws Competition underline Odisha’s growing strength in track and field events and reflect the consistent efforts of the state’s sports development programs to nurture young talent and support elite performers.