Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Javelin champion Kishore Kumar Jena was given a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 crore by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today in recognition of his outstanding achievement in the just-completed Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Jena won a Silver medal, giving honor to the state and country, and securing his spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. To win the silver medal, Kishore ran a personal best of 87.54 meters.
The Chief Minister praised him for the historic accomplishment and reaffirmed that Jena was a source of pride for Odisha. He also expressed his confidence that Jena will bring more accolades to the state and wished him the best of success for the Paris Olympics. During the celebration, Secretary (5T) V K Pandian was also there. He complimented the athlete on his outstanding trip and gave him good luck with his next competitions.
Jena thanked the Chief Minister for recognizing his work and success and praised the government of Odisha for setting an example and helping athletes focus on their competition by providing assistance. The top javelin thrower from Puri has established herself as a role model for athletes around. His year has been incredibly successful. He made an impression leading up to the Asian Games by placing fifth in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, for which Chief Minister Patnaik presented him with a monetary prize of Rs. 50 Lakh.
