A 27-member Odisha squad ended its campaign with four medals in the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition, which was held at Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand from 22 to 25 May 2026. The four medals include one gold, two silver and one bronze.
Chhattisgarh-born sprinter Animesh Kujur was the most successful performer of the Odisha squad, winning one gold and one silver medal in 200m and 100m events respectively. Animesh, who trains at Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC in Bhubaneswar, broke the 100m National record of Gurindervir Singh, clocking 10.15 seconds in the semifinals on May 22.
But Gurindervir bounced back to regain his National record and won the 100m gold medal with a time of 10.09 seconds in the final race the next day. Animesh settled for silver, clocking 10.20 seconds. Both Gurindervir and Animesh qualified for Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. But in the 200m run, Animesh won the gold with a time of 20.64 seconds.