Andhra Pradesh student to represent State at World School Athletics Championship

At the age of 17, Dandu Jyotika Sri of Tanuku, West Godavari district has made a winning entry into the World Athletics Schools Championship for the first time in under 19 categories. Jytoika, who is pursuing junior Intermediate at SDM Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala is all set to represent the country with 6 others and is the only one athlete from Andhra Pradesh to have achieved this distinction.

Addressing the news reporters at the college campus on Friday, College’s physical education teacher V Ravikanthi shared that Jyothika Sri won a silver medal in the 400 meters running event at selection meet at Calicut, Kerala, which made her selections confirm to the World Championship. Now, she will contest in 400 meters running and 4 * 400 meters relay competitions at the competitions scheduled to be held at Turkey from July 11 to 18. For the training, she is all set to go to a camp at Raipur from July 3 to 9, she said.

Jyothika Sri took the opportunity to thank her father for encouraging her and standing in support to pursue her dreams. “I am glad that I could represent the country as well as the State at the international level and cannot thank enough Tanuku MLA A Radha Krishna for his financial assistance. I aim to win medals in the upcoming Nationals as well as the National games to be held in 2019. My long term goals are to win at common wealth and Olympics. I want to become best athlete in the country,” added she.

She has earlier won a bronze medal in All India Inter district Athletics Championship in 2015, gold medal in South India Athletics Championship and another gold medal at PYKKA National Athletics Championship. Junior College principal P Vijaya Lakshmi, degree college principal T Vijaya Lakshmi and her coach DNV Vinayaka Prasad spoke on the occasion.