CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR : In a tragic incident, Odisha lost two promising sports talents as national-level athletes Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malaya Barik died in a road accident on NH-16 near Telengapentha under Cuttack Sadar police limits on Wednesday night.
According to reports, four persons including three athletes and a lifeguard at a swimming high performance centre were travelling on two motorcycles to Cuttack to witness Dussehra celebrations, when the accident took place.
Dondapati (21) and Barik (20) were on one motorcycle, which slipped and collided with a road divider on the national highway. Both were rescued by their companions and police, and rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in critical condition. They, however, succumbed to their injuries on the way to hospital.
Police said Dondapati and Barik were on one motorcycle while another athlete Astik Pradhan and Umma, working as a lifeguard at Kalinga Stadium high performance centre’s swimming pool, were on a separate bike. Pradhan and Umma were not involved in the high speed crash which took place at around 10.30 pm.
The incident left Odisha’s sports fraternity in shock. Dondapati and Barik were emerging athletes and represented Odisha at state and national-level competitions. Both were training at the Reliance High-Performance Centres (HPCs) in Kalinga Stadium Sports Complex here.
As recently as October 18, Dondapati had bagged silver medal in men’s 200m by clocking 21.04 secs at the 6th Indian Open U-23 Athletics Competition 2026, held in Jaipur.
He had won gold medals in both 100m and 200m events at the Indian Open U-23 athletics competition at Hanumakonda district in Telangana last year. He had clocked 10.49 secs and 21.10 secs in 100m and 200m events respectively.
Barik too was an emerging athletic talent in the country. He had secured first place clocking 49.33 secs in the men’s 400m at Indian Athletics Series-4 at Birsa Munda Stadium at Ranchi in April this year.
Dondapati, a native of Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh, was residing in Bhawanipatna. He had joined the Indian Navy through sports quota only about 15 days back. Barik hailed from Attabira in Bargarh district.
Expressing his grief over the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of athletes Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malaya Barik in a road accident. Their untimely passing is a profound loss to Odisha’s sporting fraternity.”
“My heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families. May Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath grant them strength in this difficult time and eternal peace to the departed souls,” he stated on X. Sports minister Suryabanshi Suraj also expressed his condolences.
Dondapati was given a guard of honour during his funeral here on the day, while Barik’s body was shifted to his hometown for last rites.
