"I called my father at 3 am and told him I felt like quitting the sport" - Kishore Kumar Jena reveals his challenging period
Young sensation javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena, who won silver in the Asian Games 2023, recently revealed that he wanted to quit the sport during a rough patch in July this year.
Despite winning the gold medal at the Lebanon Athletics Championships 2023 with a mark of 78.96m, the Odisha-born athlete was concerned about his future.
In the middle of one night, Jena called his father Keshab to express his jittery mindset, where for once he even contemplated calling time with the javelin.
Speaking to The Indian Express about his phone call with his father, the 28-year-old said:
"At the Lebanon championships, I threw 78 metres (78.96m). I was crestfallen. I felt like my career was not going anywhere. I was crying till 2 am and then at around 3 am, I called my father and told him I felt like quitting the sport."
Kishore Kumar Jena made a tremendous comeback with a personal best throw of 84.38m on the opening day of the Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships 2023 on July 28.
Speaking about the turning point in his career, Jena remarked:
"Sri Lanka was the most important competition of my life, it was a turning point for me. After that, I could go to the World Championships and then the Asian Games. After the competition in Lebanon, I threw 84 metres while training in Patiala. I had a good feeling suddenly, ” Jena recalled.
"Have not decided what to do with the rest of the money" - Kishore Kumar Jena
Kishore Kumar Jena announced his arrival at the international level, making giant strides with a fifth-placed finish at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. He followed it with a silver medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
With each passing event, he bettered his personal throw from 84.38m in Diyagama to 87.54m in Hangzhou.
The Odisha government felicitated the emerging javelin thrower with a cash award of ₹1.5 crore. Jena used the massive prize money to clear the loans taken for his sister's wedding and personal training needs.
“I have not decided what to do with the rest of the money," he continued. "Things are much better now. I have Reliance as a sponsor, the Odisha government has also helped me. It makes it easier to focus on the Paris Olympics when there is support. Expectations will be more I know because people know me now.”
Kishore Kumar Jena will shift his focus to the Paris Olympics 2024 next year after attaining the qualification mark of 85m during the Asian Games not once but twice.