BHUBANESWAR: Two promising Odisha athletes, Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati, one of India’s fastest under-23 sprinters in 2025, and 400m runner Malay Barik, were killed in a road accident on the Cuttack highway late Wednesday night.Dondapati had emerged as one of the country’s fastest sprinters in the under-23 category in 2025, while Barik competed in the 400m event. Their deaths have left Odisha’s sporting fraternity mourning the loss of two young athletes.Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over their deaths in a social media post.“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,” Majhi said.Offering condolences to the bereaved families, he prayed to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath to give them strength to cope with the loss and grant eternal peace to the departed souls.