KIUG 2022 meet record holder KIIT University student Pragyan Sahu credits Khelo India games’ impact in her ever-improving 100m hurdles journey

Khel Today Bureau 

Lucknow: Pragyan Sahu not only created a meet record at the Khelo India University Games 2022 in the women’s 100m hurdles event but also ensured a medal is won from all her participations at the Khelo India games over the years.

The KIIT University Odisha girl recorded a time of 13.63 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles event at the Guru Govind Singh sports college grounds in Lucknow.

“At the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune in 2019, I won the silver in the 100m hurdles event. Then, last year at the Khelo India University Games in Bengaluru. I won the silver in the 400m hurdles event. Now I am not just taking a gold but also a meet record in 100m hurdles,” says Pragyan with a cheerful smile.

She achieved the Asian Championships qualifying standard at the recently concluded Federation Cup Athletics Championships in Ranchi. An effervescent smile on her face while wearing this gold medal embodies her hard work, devotion, consistency, and dedication for the sport, which will inspire an extensive number of young people to follow in her footsteps. She establishes herself as a valuable asset not just to kids but also to their parents.

“From 14.03 at the Khelo India games in Pune to recording 13.63 seconds now and the journey from silver medal in Pune to a meet record now, I am happy where I have reached over the years. The Khelo India games are giving us extra competitions to give our best here and participating here gives us more confidence to perform in bigger competitions,” added the ever-smiling Pragyan.

When it comes to her journey, she comes from a normal family who were not able to support her financially in her athletic endeavours. Her parents, both teachers, worked diligently to see their daughter’s ambition come to fruition. She has also qualified for the Asian and World Games, but her primary emphasis is on the 2024 Olympics, which she is currently striving for.

Earlier Pragyan had won many medals in state and national events. She had won gold medal in U-20 girl’s 200m event of the 65th Odisha State Athletics Championship in Cuttack in 2017. She also won the silver medal in U-20 girl’s 100m and 4000m hurdles events at 46th Odisha State Athletics Championship in Cuttack. The sports meet was held between April 2 and 4, 2017.

This 23-year-old girl, had also won the title in (girl’s-18) 400m hurdles and finished third in long jump event of the 63rd Odisha State Athletics Meet in December, 2015. The National medal which she had won included a silver medal in 100m hurdles event of the 16th Federation Cup National Junior Athletics Championship held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Coimbatore, Tamil from April 20-22, 2019.