BHUBANESWAR 21-Jul-2017
Star Odisha athletes Jauna Murmu and Purnima Hembram have taken admission in Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) to pursue Post Graduate and Bachelors degree course respectively from academic session 2017-18. This was announced by the Bhubaneswar-based tribal school today.
``KISS will provide them all athletic facilities besides free education,’’ said KIIT & KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta, while congratulating the duo. ``Students of the institute, numbering 25,000, will be encouraged by their association with KISS,’’ he added.
According to a KIIT press release, both athletes hail from very poor agricultural family in Mayurbhanj district. ``Jauna, who is working in ONGC, recently qualified for forthcoming London World Athletics Championships in 400m and 400m hurdles. She is a Political Science graduate from Sikkim University,’’ release added.
Purnima, who completed her 12th class from Jamda College, Mayurbhanj, won the heptathlon bronze medal in the recently concluded 22nd Asian Athletics Championships here. For her success, she was felicitated by KIIT & KISS with a cash incentive of Rs 1.5 lakh. Dr Samanta announced another cash prize of Rs 25,000 for Purnima for winning 100m hurdles gold medal in the National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships at Guntur earlier this month.
Expressing his satisfaction, Dr Samanta said: ``It is a matter of pride that athletes like Jauna and Purnima will pursue higher education in KISS. KISS will take care of proper training of the two star athletes. I also wish their participation in coming Olympics.’’
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PHOTO: File photo of Jauna Murmu.
