By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: International Badminton Player Ms. Rutaparna Panda has bagged the prestigious 29th Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2021. The Ekalabya Puraskar Committee comprising of jury members drawn from different walks of life were unanimous in selecting Ms. Panda for the prestigious award in a meeting held here on Sunday.
Ms. Rutaparna Panda, the mercurial Internatonial Badminton player who has represented the nation in several international tournaments and have been credited with many wins for Women’s Badminton Team of India from 01st April 2019 to 31st March 2021, emerged as the clear winner this year. She will get a cash award of Rs.5 lakh along with a citation at the Ekalabya Puraskar program to be held under the strict observation of Covid restrictions. Besides Ms. Panda, two other sportspersons will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in various International & National level in their respective fields. They are; Inernational Women Cyclist Ms. Swasti Singh and the International Football player Ms. Pyari Xaxa. Both will receive a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- each along with citations. The date for Ekalabya Puraskar function will be announced later.
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 preceeding two years.
Announcing the names of the award winners, Shri Baijayant Panda, Chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee of IMPaCT said, “IMPaCT has been in continuous pursuit to recognize and foster excellence in sports and literature besides contributing to the general welfare of the society at large. Ekalabya Puraskar is instituted to encourage and inspire young sports persons to perform at national and international arena.”
