Athletics: Jyothi Makes Successful Return From Injury, Books Asian Games Ticket

Athletics: Jyothi makes successful return from injury, books Asian Games ticket (Image Source: IANS)

State Senior Athletics Championships: India's hurdle queen Jyothi Yarraji wasted no time in making a mark on her return after a lengthy injury layoff as she achieved the qualifying standard for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 with a controlled run in the opening heats of the women's 100m hurdles at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026 on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old, who hails from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, clocked a competitive 3.14 seconds in her first race of the season on the opening day of the Inter-State Nationals.

Jyothi, who has shown immense resilience over the past year, has committed herself to rehabilitation and recovery at Reliance Foundation Sports. She won a silver medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 after being initially disqualified for a false start along with a Chinese athlete, but was later allowed to participate after a review.

The 26-year-old Jyothi, the national record holder in this event, was competing in her first tournament in 2026 after returning from a serious ACL injury that saw her out of action for over a year. Jyothi would be setting her sights on qualifying for the Asian Games again in the 100m hurdles and 200m events.

Jyothi, who has shown immense resilience over the past year, has committed herself to rehabilitation and recovery at Reliance Foundation Sports. She won a silver medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 after being initially disqualified for a false start along with a Chinese athlete, but was later allowed to participate after a review.

The competition is seeing a host of Commonwealth Games-bound athletes in action, including the likes of Animesh Kujur, Tejas Shirse, Yashas Palaksha, and Murali Sreeshankar. Also making a return to action will be long jump national record holder Jeswin Aldrin, who will jostle with Sreeshankar for a top-of-the-podium finish.

Article Source: IANS