Odisha Loses Two Sporting Gems in Tragic Road Accident

Odisha Loses Two Sporting Gems in Tragic Road Accident

Odisha has lost two promising young athletes, Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malay Barik, in a tragic road accident near Phulnakhara on the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar National Highway on Thursday night. The accident reportedly occurred around 10:30 PM in front of a Toyota showroom.

According to police sources, both athletes were rescued from the accident site and rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where doctors declared them dead. Their bodies were kept at the hospital mortuary.

Jayaram Dondapati: A Rising Sprinting Talent

Born on January 12, 2005, Jayaram Dondapati had links to Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district and originally hailed from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. He was training at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar.

A specialist in the 100-metre and 200-metre events, Jayaram won gold medals in both races at the Indian Open U23 Athletics Competition in Hanamkonda, Telangana, clocking 10.49 seconds in the 100 metres and 21.10 seconds in the 200 metres.

At the 72nd Odisha State Senior Athletics Championship in 2026, he secured gold in the men’s 200 metres and silver in the 100 metres. He also reportedly won bronze in the 100 metres at the 2026 Indian Open U23 competition with a timing of 10.455 seconds.

Malay Barik: An Emerging 400-Metre Runner

Malay Barik, born on April 1, 2006, hailed from Attabira in Bargarh district and represented Odisha in the 400-metre event. Trained by Siba Prasad Mishra, he studied at Siddharth Public School in Kumelsingha.

Malay secured first place in the men’s 400 metres at Indian Athletics Series-4 at Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, finishing in 49.33 seconds.

He was also part of Odisha’s gold-winning Under-20 men’s 4x400-metre relay team at the East Zone Junior Championships held in September 2025. At the 72nd Odisha State Senior Athletics Championship in June 2026, he won silver in the men’s Under-23 400 metres. He also clocked 48.75 seconds in the 400-metre heats at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar.

Circumstances Surrounding the Accident

Malay, who was staying at a sports hostel at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, was travelling to Cuttack to watch a Jatra performance when the accident occurred. He allegedly hit a road divider.

The acquaintance said Malay’s friends informed his family about the incident. His family reportedly had limited information about his movements that night and learnt about the accident after receiving calls from his friends.

Malay’s family left their home in Bargarh around 12:30 AM and reached the location at approximately 7 AM. According to the acquaintance, Malay was travelling with another person who was driving the vehicle and also died in the accident. Malay reportedly sustained injuries to his back and neck.

The tragic deaths of Jayaram Dondapati and Malay Barik have left Odisha’s athletics community mourning the loss of two young talents whose sporting journeys held immense promise.