Ommkar Prasad Nanda won the first medal for Odisha with a bronze in mens shot put event on the second day of the 24th National Junior U-20 Federation Athletics Competition, which is being held at Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Tumkur (Karnataka) from 24 to 26 April 2026.

Ommkar secured the bronze with a throw of 17.52 metres. This is the only medal a 31-member Odisha squad has won so far, despite the State having a High Performance Centre (HPC) in Bhubaneswar. Purabi Padhi was the only other Odisha athlete, who came closer to winning a medal before finishing fourth in women discus throw with an effort of 46.50 metres.

Of course, Odisha sprinters Pratik Maharana and Swapanile Ahir have qualified for the mens 200 semifinals, and both have a fair chance of winning a medal on the third and final day tomorrow. In the heats today, Pratik and Swapanile Ahir clocked 21.51 seconds and 21.77 seconds respectively.

The ongoing competition is also serving as a qualifying event for the 22nd Asian U-20 Athletics Championship, scheduled to be held in Hong Kong, China from 28 to 31 May 2026. It will be a big achievement for Odisha if any athlete from the State is able to achieve the Asian qualifying standard.
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PHOTO: Odisha shot putter Ommkar Prasad Nanda poses with his bronze medal at the 24th National Junior U-20 Federation Athletics Competition on 25 April 2026.