Jyothi Yarraji, the name has to ring a bell. Twenty-four years old, lithe and full of energy, the girl from Vizag dared to take on the Chinese in their own backyard at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year.
Everyone knows, in track and field, the officials in-charge in Hangzhou did not distinguish themselves well. There was more than just an error, with both Jyothi, as well as how Neeraj Chopra’s first throw with the javelin, did not get registered. Neeraj required to produce another massive effort to seal gold and emerge winner.
But for sheer guts, which Jyothi spilled on the track, she was bold and beautiful, winning a bronze in the 100m hurdles, which later got upgraded to silver thanks to a DQ (disqualification) from a Chinese athlete. Fans inside the stadium in Hangzhou watched, as did millions of fans on television, as Jyothi and the alert officials from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) flagged a glitch.
That show of guts and faith defined Jyothi, a relatively small-town girl whose medal is indeed a big one. Yes, there were gold medals galore in Hangzhou but in a discipline like 100m hurdles, which is explosive, Jyothi was effulgent. After all, Jyothi means lamp, burning bright. She will be there in Paris 2024 as well, and even if she makes the semis, that will be wonderful.
It’s wonderful that the RevSportz TrailBlazers Conclave 2.0 in Kolkata on March 7 and 8 will have someone with the energy and guts of Jyothi. Inspirational? That is stating the obvious.
Teflon-coated, she is for sure, but deep down this girl is packed with emotions. There was a time when her mother told her last year, she just has one more year to go. After that, marriage and settling down in a family. Now, it’s all changed. Keep running, the family tells her, and break records!
Some of our other panelist:
🚨 #Trailblazers2Conclave Know Your Panelist: @AnushAgarwalla, who clinched the historic Gold Medal at the Asian Games 2022.
Anush now sets his sights on the Olympic Quest and will grace the RevSportz #TrailblazersConclave2 to share his remarkable journey.@TataSteelLtd pic.twitter.com/XDLQ1co5K3
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 14, 2024
For someone who had been breaking the 100m national record repeatedly, there was a streak of bad luck. Her ‘records’ were not being recognised due to wind assistance beyond the prescribed limits. If that was irksome, nay an irritant, Jyothi did not give up. She kept hitting the reset button, and results are there for all to see.
For someone who was disqualified in the final, wrongly, in Hangzhou, Jyothi fought. That was presence of mind plus conviction from Jyothi and being backed by the AFI promptly, she was back on track. So, for Jyothi to have seen adversities was nothing new, as her attempt at getting a legit national record of 12.78 seconds last August was blazing. She was smashing her own records, something which pole vaulter Sergei Bubka did in yesteryears in invitational meets.
The most lasting impression from Jyothi at Hangzhou was what she had written on her back for her friend and mentor, Gautham, who passed away in a bike accident in September 2023. “Gautham, this is for you, we miss you,” read the message on her running bib.
Makes you teary-eyed? Who knows, she could bring out those emotions, again. Not on the track but at the RevSportz sports summit in March.
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