Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 14 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer congratulated Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji on receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award, acknowledging her contribution to athletics and the pride she has brought to the state and the country.

The Andhra Pradesh Lok Bhavan shared a post on X conveying the Governor's message, in which he described the recognition as a proud moment for the state.

'Governor of Andhra Pradesh Sri S. Abdul Nazeer has congratulated ace athlete and Olympian Ms. Jyothi Yarraji who received the prestigious Arjuna Award. The Governor said it was a proud moment to see the talented athlete from Andhra Pradesh receive this prestigious national sporting honour. Her dedication, determination and outstanding achievements in athletics have brought pride to the State and the nation. He wished her continued success and many more laurels in her sporting career,' the post read.

The 27-year-old from Visakhapatnam has established herself as one of India's leading track and field athletes, particularly in the 100m hurdles. She became the first Indian woman to compete in the 100m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympics, qualifying through her world ranking after narrowly missing the automatic qualification mark by 0.01 seconds.

Yarraji's rise in Indian athletics gathered momentum in 2022 when she broke the national record in the 100m hurdles with a timing of 13.23 seconds. She subsequently became the first Indian woman to breach the 13-second barrier, clocking 12.78 seconds at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, where she won a bronze medal.

Her achievements on the continental stage include gold in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok and silver in the event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She also won gold in the 60m hurdles at the 2024 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

Yarraji continued her impressive run in 2025, successfully defending her 100m hurdles title at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, with a championship-record timing of 12.96 seconds.

Her Arjuna Award recognition followed a career marked by consistent performances at national and international competitions. The award acknowledges sporting excellence and her contribution to Indian athletics. (ANI)