Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today felicitated javelin sensation Kishore Kumar Jena with a cash award of Rs 50 lakhs for his outstanding performance at the recently concluded World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary, where he finished a creditable fifth.

Though the Chief Minister had announced a cash award of Rs 25 lakh earlier on August 28, the day Jena cornered glory in Budapest, the amount was doubled today. A former trainee of Bhubaneswar Sports Hostel, Jena not only became the first athlete from Odisha to qualify for the final round of any event at the World Championship, but also achieved a personal best throw of 84.77 m.

Chief Minister Patnaik said, "The success of Kishore Jena is not just his own, it is a source of pride for all of us in Odisha. His remarkable journey to the finals of the World Athletics Championship serves as an inspiration to our youth and a testament to the talent that our state possesses."