Reliance Foundation athletes Jyothi Yarraji and Gulveer Singh win accolades at Asian Athletics Championships
Reliance Foundation athlete, Jyothi Yarraji secured a silver medal in the 200m event, adding to her earlier gold medal in the 100m hurdles on July 16, 2023, the final day of action at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
Another athlete from Reliance Foundation, Gulveer Singh also put on an impressive performance on the same day to win bronze in the 5,000m event.
Yarraji was in inspired form in the final, running her personal best of 23.13s to win silver behind Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira, who won gold with a time of 22.70s to set a new Championship record.
Singh clocked a time of 13:48.33s in the final to finish third behind the Japanese duo of Hyuga Endo (13:34.94s) and Kazuya Shiojiri (13:43.92s).
Earlier in the competition, Singh had finished fifth in the 10,000m event on the opening day of the competition after finishing with a time of 29:53.69s.
Our 🇮🇳 flag flying high while the national anthem plays - the stuff of dreams! ✨
— Reliance Foundation (@ril_foundation) July 14, 2023
Nothing but proud to see Jyothi Yarraji bringing glory to our nation at the highest stage & this is just the beginning... 🙌
📽️: Asian Athletics Championships 2023
Reliance Foundation Youth… pic.twitter.com/wkjzjIkEkM
Yarraji said she was pleased to overcome various challenges to finish with two medals. “When I started the 100m hurdles event, there was rain and a false start too. So I’m very happy to return with two medals. I’m glad to achieve a personal best in the 200m event in spite of being sick. I will now look to do well at the Asian Games and the World Championships. I will also speak to my coach about the areas that I can further improve upon.”
Ready ,Set, Go! 🚀🔥Celebrate the inspiring triumph of @gulveer__singh as he leaves his mark on the Asian Athletics Championship 2023, securing a bronze medal in the 5,000 m race. A true testament to dedication, passion, and the pursuit of excellence! 🌟🏆@rfyouthsports |… pic.twitter.com/3wZI99XUvt
— Reliance Foundation (@ril_foundation) July 17, 2023
James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, commended the athletes for their efforts. “Gulveer ran a very good tactical race. He conserved energy at the beginning and when the athletes in front of him started tiring, he used that to his advantage. He won bronze quite comfortably. He had just recovered from a blister on his foot and he showed immense heart to win that medal.”
He also credited Yarraji for her fortitude in winning two medals and getting a new personal best. “When I first told people that Jyothi could win a medal in the 200m at the Asian Championships, they would not believe it. She has done that now. To do it with two personal bests is absolutely amazing. She woke up with a fever this morning and was vomiting, so that was an incredible effort by her, not just to compete but to also win a medal. She is a champion, because champions find a way to get a result even when the chips are down and she did that.”
India ended the Asian Athletics Championship campaign in third place on the medal table with 27 medals, including six golds, 12 silvers, and nine bronzes.
