Orissa artist redesigns National Sports Awards

The trophies of the National sports awards have undergone a design change. They are all set to appear in new looks later this year. Winners of Arjuna, Dronacharya and Tenzing Norgay Awards will receive the newly designed bronze statuettes from the hands of the President of India on August 29. It`s a pride for Orissa that the three statuettes have been re-designed by one of the artists from the state. He is Gajendra Prasad Sahu, the head of Graphic Arts Department of the B K College of Arts and Crafts, Bhubaneswar. ``The new statuettes are more forceful and meaningful in their look. Unlike the earlier statuettes, which were coming in big glass-covered boxes, the new ones are more convenient to hold and carry,`` said Sahu. ``The antique polishing has added an aesthetic look to these statuettes,’’ he added. As desired by Union Sports Minister M S Gill, the new Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards would now have a similarity with Oscar and Filmfare Awards. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs took into consideration several designs before giving its approval to the ones submitted by the 48-year-old Orissa artist. Sahu has been asked to deliver a total of 33 statuettes, including 18 Arjuna and eight Dronacharya by July 10. According to the designer, each statuette stands 15 inches tall and weighs two kilogram approximately. ``Sportspersons and coaches are sure to love and pay respect to these statuettes,’’ he felt. Caption: Top: Gajendra Prasad Sahu, the designer of the new National Sports Awards. Bottom: Newly designed statuettes of Arjuna (Left) and Dronacharya Awards (June 4, 2009).