July 16th 2024.
Kishore Jena, the talented javelin thrower who won a silver medal at the Asian Games, recently opened up about a difficult time in his career. In 2023, after a series of disappointing performances, Jena found himself on the brink of quitting the sport that he loved. However, it was his father's wise words that ultimately convinced him to persevere and turn things around.
Jena couldn't help but feel inspired by fellow athlete Neeraj Chopra's historic gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics. While he was happy for his friend's success, Jena also couldn't ignore the fact that he was playing the same sport but not achieving the same level of success. This realization left him feeling dejected and questioning whether all the hard work he had put in was worth it.
As his rankings dipped and he struggled to break the 80m mark, Jena seriously considered giving up on his dreams. It wasn't until he received a call from his father that he found the motivation to keep going. His father encouraged him to participate in a competition in Sri Lanka, and Jena decided to give it his all one last time.
To his surprise, Jena emerged victorious at the Lebanon National Championships with a throw of 78.96m. While it may not have been his best performance, it was enough to reignite his passion for the sport. In March of 2023, Jena finally broke the 80m mark with a throw of 81.05m at the Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram.
Determined to qualify for the World Championships, Jena gave it his all and achieved a personal best of 84.38m at a competition in Sri Lanka. This secured his spot at the Budapest World Championships in August of 2023, where he competed through a world ranking quota. Although he didn't meet the automatic qualification mark of 85.20m, Jena was proud of his performance, which resulted in a personal best of 84.77m.
Following the World Championships, Jena continued to push himself and set his sights on the Asian Games. He achieved another personal best of 87.54m, securing his ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. While he has no specific targets in mind, Jena is determined to improve his personal best and give his all at the upcoming Games.
Currently, Jena is facing some struggles with his form, with only one throw over 80m in six events since the World Championships. He won a bronze medal at the National Inter-State Championships in Panchkula in June with a throw of 80.84m, which is his best performance of the season so far. But despite these challenges, Jena remains confident and determined to keep pushing himself to new heights.
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