CHENNAI: Discus thrower from Tamil Nadu, Krishna Jayasankar was awarded full academic and athletic scholarship amounting to Rs.1.5 crore from University of Texas at El paso (UTEP), USA.
Krishna Jayasankar is the first Indian woman thrower, first women athlete from Tamil Nadu and the second woman track and field athlete from India after Triple Jumper, Lizabeth Karoline to receive this scholarship.
She is currently ranked No. 1 in junior girls discus throw in India and 8th in junior Asia.
Krishna was training in Kingston, Jamaica under the guidance of her coach Horace Michael Vassell, a Jamaican track and field coach specialised in throws.
Since 1952, more than 70 individuals from UTEP's track and field program have competed in the Olympic Games. Some of the athletes are Emmanuel Korir (2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 800 metres gold medallist, Indoor World Record holder of 600 metres), Tobi Amusan (2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 4th in women's 100 metre hurdles), Churdy Martina (Dutch record holder for men's 100mts and 200mts).
Krishna was a student of SBOA School and Junior College in Chennai where she started her athletic career. While she was in grade 11(2018) she got an offer from TENVIC Sports Company to join their Centre of Excellence Sports Academy in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh where she met Coach Vassell for the first time and that was her turning point.