Latest news with #JyothiYarraji
Hans India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Grit takes Jyothi to finish line despite hurdle after hurdle
Visakhapatnam: 'Where there is a will, there is a way', goes a proverb. And, for athletes with grit and determination, hurdles seem to accelerate their victory! Fierce competition, unfavourable weather conditions, delayed start of the women's 100-mt hurdles final, bottled-up stress and the combined pressure did not stop Jyothi Yarraji from winning a gold medal in the '2025 Asian Athletics Championships' held in Gumi, South Korea. Running alongside Japan's Yumi Tanaka and China's Yanni Wu, sheer grit got Jyothi past the finish line first soon after she got into the rhythm, defending her women's 100-m hurdles title in a record time of 12.96 seconds. 'Thanks to my visualisation. It did help me stay focused all through the event despite the challenges,' Jyothi enthused in her conversation with The Hans India. The athlete, known as India's fastest hurdler, says, 'My target was to win the gold medal and I am glad that my single-minded dedication eventually yielded positive results. Maintaining consistency in training is crucial. Along with hard work and dedication, my conscious-eating made me stay strong from within.' Although inclement weather did dampen her training and warm-up, Jyothi says that she did whatever she could to hit her target. Terming her coach James Hillier as a pillar of strength, Jyothi says that he motivates her to break boundaries. 'I am quite fortunate to have been trained by him for the past three years. And I could clearly see a huge difference and improvement in my achievements. He prepared me pretty well for the 100-m hurdles in the event,' Jyothi, born and raised in Visakhapatnam, underlines. She says that it is tough to be target-oriented, especially when one is away from the family. The athlete reveals that she had gone through financial struggles as her mother Y Kumari had to take up a cleaning job initially in a hospital and later in a hotel to make ends meet for years. Jyothi's father Y Surya Narayana works as a security guard at a computer shop located in Diamond Park, Visakhapatnam. For many athletes financial constraint is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. She strongly feels that the government should step beyond taking to social media platforms while congratulating the achievers. 'It would be of great help if the government extends financial support to the athletes as it is quite draining and an expensive exercise to prepare for international competitions. The state government should come forward to offer her a job based on her achievements as it would be encouraging for me and my family,' Jyothi emphasises. She is disappointed that no such offer has come her way till date.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Reliance Foundation Athletes Shine With Five-Medal Haul At Asian Athletics Championships 2025
Last Updated: Gulveer Singh scripts double gold; Jyothi Yarraji defends title in record-breaking performance In a historic run by Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 held in Gumi, Republic of Korea, athletes supported by Reliance Foundation delivered their best-ever performance, claiming a total of five medals — three golds, one silver, and one bronze — contributing significantly to India's second-place finish overall with 24 medals – the country's best-ever showing at the Championships. Hailing the performance of all the participating athletes, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, 'We had 10 of our athletes participating in the competition and Gulveer really stole the show with his double gold (5000m & 10000m). Jyothi also did amazingly well in the hurdles in extremely difficult conditions, kept her composure and defended her title. In the women's long jump, Ancy Sojan kept her cool by being a brilliant competitor and winning the silver medal with a mature performance. Animesh's bronze medal reflects the investment we have made in sprints and this is the third time this year that he broke the national record, so it was a great performance from him." 'Overall, it was a massive effort from all our athletes out there and it's heartening to see us win medals across all centres in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Odisha in sprint, hurdles, jumps and long distance," he added. Leading the charge was long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, who scripted history by clinching double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, including a new championship record of 13:24.77s in the 5000m. Gulveer became the first Indian athlete since 2017 to win both events in the same edition of the Championships. Meanwhile, Jyothi Yarraji, India's ace hurdler and reigning Asian champion, defended her title in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 12.96s, breaking the championship record under challenging weather conditions. Ecstatic after his achievement in the Championships, Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre athlete Animesh Kujur quoted, 'I'm really proud of winning the bronze medal in my first ever major international championship. At the start line, I was in a good mental space and felt confident in my abilities. I kept composure throughout the final race and was pleased to see myself break the national record once again. I think this is just a start and I want to reach greater heights in the near future." With this five-medal haul, Reliance Foundation athletes not only broke records (two championship records and one national record) but also underlined the Foundation's commitment to nurturing Olympic-level talent through access to world-class facilities across India. The performance in Gumi stands as a proud milestone in the Foundation's journey of empowering young Indian athletes to excel on the global stage. First Published:
Deccan Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Yarraji is making a statement - one hurdle at a time
India's Jyothi Yarraji, the favourite to defend her title, decided to use the additional time for visualisation drills and an extended warm-up session in a cramped storage room. She then came out on track to deliver a statement-making performance with a competition record. Jyothi Yarraji (centre) is all smiles on the podium after winning gold in the 100m hurdles with a meet record time of 12.96 seconds at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi South Korea on Thursday. AAC MEDIA
News18
6 days ago
- Sport
- News18
'I Shouted With Happiness For The First Time': Jyothi Yarraji On Emotional Asian Athletics Gold Win
Last Updated: Amid delays, and injury setbacks, Jyothi Yarraji defended her 100m hurdles title at the Asian Championships. On a chaotic, rain-drenched night in Gumi, South Korea, India's Jyothi Yarraji held her nerve to win gold in the 100m hurdles at the Asian Athletics Championships, clocking 12.96 seconds to successfully defend her title. Despite a disrupted warm-up, a thunderstorm, and the lingering effects of a hamstring injury, the 24-year-old hurdler came out on top in a tightly contested race. 'She got the win, and that's what it was all about," said James Hillier, Athletic Director at the Reliance Foundation and Yarraji's coach. 'This was a crazy competition. Just as Jyothi began her warm-up, the heavens opened—there was a huge thunderstorm, the temperature plummeted, and the whole event got pushed back by two hours." With her usual pre-race routine thrown into disarray, Yarraji adapted the only way she could—mentally. 'I had a good warm-up, but then I had to rest for two hours. It rained a lot, and I couldn't warm up properly, so I started visualising everything—how I'm crossing each and every hurdle," she explained. 'I did that more than ten times. It helped me concentrate on my lane and stay focused." Hillier revealed that she had to warm up in 'what was basically a storage room at the side of the track,' but applauded how she adapted. 'By the time the race went off at twenty past ten, it was freezing cold. She maybe didn't get out as well as I'd have liked, but once she got into her running, I knew she would win. I told her, 'Be close to the girls by hurdle eight—if you're there, you'll win.' And she was already in the lead by then." Yarraji had faced her share of challenges leading up to the championship. She suffered a hamstring injury that limited her hurdling and sprinting for three weeks, but Hillier ensured she never stopped training. 'Injuries happen—it's part of this business. We didn't focus on what she couldn't do, but what she could. She trained in the gym, in the pool, on the bike. I set goals to keep her competitive. And I told her, 'Trust your numbers. You've hit every PB this year. Just go deliver it now.' And she did," Hiller told Yarraji herself admitted there was tension going into the race. 'Another girl was doing really well this season, and I hadn't done 12.89 yet. So yes, there was some stress. But I kept telling myself, 'Just focus on the timing.' When I crossed the tenth hurdle and saw no one around me, I felt so happy. I shouted after the race—something I've never done before out of happiness," she added. First Published: May 30, 2025, 11:49 IST
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Asian Athletics Championships 2025, Medals Tally: India back in second place with five golds after third day
India moved back to second place in the medals tally on the third day of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Korea. Avinash Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase), Jyothi Yarraji (women's 100m hurdles) and the women's 4x400m relay team grabbed three more gold medals for India, overtaking Japan which has four. China leads with 21 medals (12 gold), followed by India, Japan and others. The event ends on May 31. Here's the top five breakdown after day three: Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 China 12 6 3 21 2 India 5 6 3 14 3 Japan 4 9 8 21 4 Qatar 2 0 1 3 5 Iran 2 0 0 2
