MUMBAI: Reliance Foundation athlete Jyothi Yarraji secured India's first medal at the ongoing Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, winning Gold in the 60m hurdles event with a new national record time of 8.12s on Saturday.
Jyothi's outstanding performance marked a strong start to the 2024 season, surpassing her own national record from the previous year's edition in Kazakhstan, where she won silver. Despite facing concerns about a hamstring injury, Jyothi expressed gratitude to her team, Reliance Foundation, and the Odisha government for their support in preparing her for the competition.
The athlete trained at the Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium and participated in the first Indoor Athletics Test Meet organized by Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre. Her success builds on an impressive 2023, where she won silver in the 100m hurdles at the Asian Games and secured two medals at the Asian Championships.
James Hillier, Athletics Director at Reliance Foundation, commended Jyothi's performance, highlighting a successful training camp in Bhubaneswar that contributed to her strong start in the season.
Another Indian athlete, Harmilan Kaur Bains, also excelled, securing a gold medal in the women's 1500m race with a timing of 4:29.55 minutes.
Jyothi, scouted into the RF Athletics Program in 2021, has been a residential athlete at Reliance's High-Performance Centres in Odisha and, more recently, at the RF National Athletics Centre based at the Jio Institute in Ulwe.
Among 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 Reliance Foundation Athletes participating in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships include: E Baranica (Pole Vault), VK Elakkiyadasan (60m), Tejas Ashok Shirse (60m hurdles), Mohammed Afsal (800m), Gulveer Singh (3000m), and Dhanvir (Shot Put).