BHUBANESWAR 22-May-2014 168
A total of nine names, including that of Olympic sprinter Rachita Mistry (nee Panda), weightlifter Katula Ravi Kumar and Asiad rower Pratima Puhana were today recommended for conferment of Biju Patnaik Sports Award, the hightest of its kind in the state, for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.
An eight-member evaluation committee, headed by former Police DG Gopal Chandra Nanda, finalised the names in its second meeting here at the office of the Sports and Youth Services Department. Among the members, Sports Department Joint-Secretary A K Jena, former India woman football captain Sradhanjali Samantaray, East Coast Railway Sports Association’ former president D K Samantaray, senior sports journalist Sanatan Pani were present in the meeting.
Also attended was Sports Department Secretary Saswat Mishra. But the conferment of the awards is subject to the approval of the names by the state government. Though the annual award is given in four categories, the evaluation committee found no deserving candidate for the life-time achievement award for the year 2011, 2012 and the outstanding coach award for the year 2012.
Odisha-born woman sprinter Rachita, who is now settled in Maharashtra, was picked for the 2010 life-time achievement award. She represented India in 4x100m relay event of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Also an Arjuna Awardee, Rachita still holds the 100m national record of 11.38 seconds, which she set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet in Thiruvananthapuram in August, 2000.
Woman rower Pratima, who bagged a bronze medal in the coxless pair event of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, was chosen for the 2010 sportsperson of the year award, while SAI gymnastic coach Ashok Kumar Mishra and Tapan Kumar Swain of odia daily `Dharitri’ were selected asthe year’s outstanding coach and sports journalist respectively.
Berhampur lifter Ravi Kumar, who represented the country in the 2012 London Olympic Games, was picked for the 2011 sportsperson of the year award, while state government football coach Gangadhar Behera and Debasis Sundaray of `Sambad’ were chosen for the outstanding coach and journalist awards respectively.
For the year 2012, the names of Commonwealth medal-winning woman weightlifter Minati Sethi and Sarbeswar Mohanty of `Samaya’ were recommended for the sportsperson of the year and sports journalist awards respectively.
Instituted in the year 2001-2002, the award carry a cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh for life-time achievement, Rs 1 lakh for sportsperson of the year, Rs 50,000 for outstanding coach and Rs 30,000 for sports journalist. Besides the cheque, each of the awardees is given a silver statuette, scroll of honour, blazer and tie.
Instituted in the name of legendary statesman and eminent sportsperson Late Biju Patnaik, the award has so far been conferred on a total of 39 people, including 18 sportspersons, 11 coaches and 10 sports journalists.
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