New Delhi : The 4th Indian Open U-23 Athletics Competition will feature 16 athletes from the Reliance Foundation, taking place in Patna from September 28 to 30. Moumita Mondal, recognized as the ‘Best Female Athlete’ in the 2023 edition, will compete again in the 100m hurdles and long jump. Recently, she won silver in her first senior-level heptathlon at the National Open Athletics Championships, according to a press release from Reliance Foundation.

James Hillier, Athletics Director of Reliance Foundation, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming U-23 nationals, stating, “We are excited and ready, as many of our promising young athletes aim to make an impact at the event. Animesh Kujur will compete in the 200m, and with his current form, he may challenge Reliance Foundation’s Amlan Borgohain’s national record of 20.52s. Jashbir Nayak, who earned his first national-level medal—a silver in the decathlon—at this tournament last year, is another athlete to watch, as he aims for gold this time.”

The highly anticipated 100m sprint will feature a showdown between two RF athletes: national record holder Manikanta Hoblidhar and the emerging Animesh Kujur, who has also seen success at the senior level. Laxmipriya Kisan seeks to build on her previous medals from the U-20 Nationals and the SAAF Junior Championships in the 800m event. Bhartpreet Singh will return to the discus throw after recovering from injury, while Tanya Chaudhary, a top contender in the women’s hammer throw, looks to add to her accolades after medaling at both the Inter State Championships and Open Nationals earlier this year.

Other RF athletes participating in the competition include Rathish P (110m hurdles), Rohan Kamble (men’s 400m hurdles), Reyan Basha (men’s 100m), Abhisek Dalabehera (men’s 100m), Sukhi Baskey (women’s 100m), Isha Negi (heptathlon), Dayanidhi Munda (men’s 800m and 1500m), Susmita Tigga (women’s 3000m steeplechase), and Nikhil Kumar Das (men’s high jump).