By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The 33 rd Ekalabya Puraskar was conferred on ace shuttler Swetaparna Panda at an award ceremony at Mayfair Convention today. Ms. Panda was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakhs, along with a trophy.
Citation winners weightlifter Priteesmita Bhoi and tennis player Aahan were also recognised for their outstanding performances on both national and international stages. Apart from citations, they were awarded with a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakhs at the award ceremony.
Shri Pitambar Acharya, Honourable Advocate General of Odisha, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest of the evening and Shri Prakash Mishra, IPS (Rtd.) , Advisor to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Odisha, attended as the Guest of honour. Shri Baijayant Panda, Chairman Ekalabya Puraskar Committee-2025 & Trustee of IMPaCT, was present along with the esteemed Jury members.
The function ended with Vote of Thanks from Ms. Paramita Panda, Trustee of IMPaCT, and the award ceremony was managed by Shri Aswini Prasad Mohanty, Convenor, Ekalabya
Puraskar Committee-2025 & Head- Corporate Affairs, IMFA Ltd.
Ekalabya Puraskar, instituted by IMPaCT, managed by IMFA, the leading Ferro Alloys producer in the country, in the year 1993 has come a long way to be recognized as the most prestigious sports award of Odisha, drawing parallels with many national awards.
A mere look at the career graph of many of the past awardees confirms that over the years, it has been a moral booster for the best sporting talents in the State. The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years. IMPaCT's recognition of these talented athletes inspires future generations to strive for excellence in sports.
