Jayanti Nehra's Journey From Burn Injury to Asian Medal Success

Nagoya: Jayanti Nehra won silver in the women's 400m T47 event at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, finishing in 1:00.65 seconds. Her result came in a race where teammate Anjanaben Bambadia claimed gold.

Jayanti was born in 1999 in Odisha. When she was just one year old, she accidentally fell into a clay stove and suffered second-degree burns. The injury left her left elbow and hand permanently stiff.

Her school coach, Vishnu Prasad Mishra, recognised her talent and brought her into his Gurukul Athletic Training Centre in Sakhigopal, where he provided her training free of cost.

Jayanti's achievements have grown steadily. At the 2018 Asian Para Games, she won two medals: a 400m T47 event bronze, with a time of 59.71 seconds, and a 200m T47 bronze in 27.45 seconds. In 2017, she won the 400m gold at the World Junior Para Athletics Championship in Nottwil, Switzerland, earning the title of World Youth Champion.

Her silver at the Nagoya Asian Games adds another milestone to a career built on determination and perseverance.