In the era of Neeraj Chopra, it's hard to imagine another Indian javelin thrower would come up to the marks and make headlines like the Golden Boy did after winning gold at Tokyo in 2020. However, Odisha's Kishore Jena is proof that India can have multiple javelin stars as he performed at the Asian Games 2024 in Hangzhou, the People's China Of Republic. Jena won a silver behind Neeraj and it was a tight affair for the top finish.
Born on September 6, 1995, in Kothasahi village near Puri, Odisha, Kishore Kumar Jena is the youngest of seven children, with six older sisters. His parents, Keshab Jena, a paddy farmer, and Harapriya, faced significant financial challenges, leading Kishore to pursue a career in sports with the hope of securing a job through the sports quota in the Indian Army. (Neeraj Chopra Paris Olympics 2024 Schedule: When, Where And How To Watch Javelin Throw Match Live On TV, Mobile Apps, Online)
Initially, Kishore excelled in volleyball, which earned him a spot at the Odisha government’s Sports Hostel in Bhubaneswar. There, he met Laxman Baral, a former Odisha state javelin champion, who saw potential in Kishore and gifted him a handmade bamboo javelin worth Rs 250 (approximately 3 US dollars). This introduction to javelin throw marked a turning point in Kishore's athletic journey.
Under the guidance of coach Nilamadhab Deo at the Bhubaneswar sports hostel, Kishore continued to train in both volleyball and javelin throw, winning several medals in college competitions. However, his height (5 feet 8 inches) limited his prospects in volleyball. Consequently, he shifted his focus entirely to javelin throw and broke the state record with a 72.77m throw in 2017. (Paris Olympics 2024: Manika Batra's Clutch Performance Gets India Women's Table Tennis Team Into Quarterfinals)
In 2018, Kishore's javelin prowess secured him a job with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Bhopal, providing much-needed financial support, especially after his father Keshab suffered a debilitating accident that left him partially paralyzed and unable to farm.
Though Kishore continued to win medals at police events, his progress stagnated, and he struggled to surpass the 75m mark. His coach at CISF, Jagbir Singh, believed in his potential and encouraged him to aim higher, promising to recommend him for the national camp at Patiala if he could break through the barrier.
Kishore achieved this milestone by throwing over 76 meters at the Odisha State Championships in 2021 and exceeding 77 meters at the inter-state championship in Chennai in June the following year. This performance earned him a place in the national camp, which proved to be transformative.
With Samarjeet Singh Malhi, an Asian Athletics Championship bronze medallist, as his coach, and access to a proper diet and training regimen, Kishore's abilities flourished. His hard work and dedication paid off, leading to numerous achievements in his javelin career.
The 28-year-old is India’s second-best athlete in the discipline and won at the Lebanon National Championships with a throw of 78.96m. He finally breached the 80m-plus throw in March 2023 during the Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala where he threw 81.05m. The Odisha-born athlete will be hopeful of a qualification into the next stage of the event.
