Bhubaneswar: Para athlete Jayanti Behera and hockey star Deep Grace Ekka bagged the top honours at the Biju Patnaik Sports Awards on the occasion of National Sports Day, Saturday.
Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik presented the awards to outstanding sports persons and coaches on the occasion through video conferencing.
Jayanti and Deep Grace received the awards for ‘Outstanding performance in sports and games’. Both of them received Rs.2 lakh cash award each. Chess coach Satya Ranjan Patnaik received a cash award of Rs 1 lakh for ‘Excellence in coaching’.
Similarly the ‘Bravery Award’ was received by Purnima Giri and Sabita Giri who received cash award of rupees one lakh each, medal and citation.
Besides, Siba Prasad Das received a cash award of Rs.32,50,000 for coaching to sports persons with disability. Among others, Padmini Rout, Hupi Majhi, Rajashree Mohapatra, Manisha Merel, Pratyasha Ray also received cash awards.
Speaking on the occasion, Naveen congratulated the award winners. “Today we are celebrating National Sports Day on the birth anniversary of Indian Hockey legend Dhyan Chand. I pay my sincere tributes to the wizard of Indian hockey on this occasion.
“My greetings to all the sports persons and sports lovers across the state on this occasion. I congratulate all the award winners on this occasion. They have displayed excellent talent and hard work and brought laurels to the state and country. The passion, drive and determination of these sportspersons are commendable and I wish them more glory in the times ahead,” said Naveen.
He also heaped praise on Purnima and Savita. He then spoke about the initiatives of the state for making Odisha a global centre of sports.
“Our legendary leader Biju (Patnaik) Babu himself was a great sports person and promoted sports all along his life. We are now in the process of realising his dreams of making Odisha a buzzing centre of sports,” he asserted.
“Odisha has become a major centre of sports activities in the last few years. Today Odisha is known globally as a hub of hockey and we are going to host yet another edition of Hockey World Cup in 2023.
“Our focus is on the development of sports infrastructure and coaching facilities at grassroots level sports. I am sure; our sports persons will continue to excel in national and international sports and bring glory to the State in the coming years,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Sports & YS Minister Shri Tusharkanti Behera said that the objective of the state is to become the best in sports and games.
Former Indian hockey captain Padmashree Dillip Tirkey recalled the memories of Biju Patnaik as a great sports person. He expected Odisha will soon produce players who can participate in Olympics and win for India.
Award winners
Outstanding performance in sports & game: Jayanti Behera (Para athlete) & Deep Grace Ekka (Hockey)
Excellence in coaching: Satya Ranjan Pattanaik (Chess)
Bravery Award: Purnima Giri & Savita Giri (The sisters had rescued 12 persons while country boat was capsized in the river Nipania (Gania river) of Mahanadi, 03.01.2019)
Cash Awards
Coaching to sportsperson with disability (Rs 32,50,000): Siba Prasad Das (personal coach of Arjuna Awardee Pramod Bhagat)
Outstanding Sportsperson in Chess (Rs 2,40,000): Padmini Rout
Outstanding Sportsperson in Rugby (Rs 2,30,000): Hupi Majhi
PNN