BHUBANESWAR 29-Aug-2014 130
As many as 13 sports personalities, including Olympians Rachita Mistry, K Ravi Kumar and Anuradha Biswal were conferred with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award, the highest government honour in Odisha, in a function here at Jayadev Bhawan today. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presented the awards for four years at a time _ 2010 to 2013 _ and in four categories _ Life-time Achievement, Sportsperson of the Year, Outstanding Coach and Outstanding Sports Journalist.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister announced the construction of swimming complex and multi-purpose indoor hall in all the district headquarters from the current financial year. Sports Minister Sudam Marndi and Sports Secretary Saswat Mishra were present in the function.
The awardees included six sportspersons, three coaches and four sports journalists. Besides the sports awards, state youth awards and bravery award were conferred on the occasion. Three mountaineers were also awarded for successfully scaling Mount Everest. Among the three, Devidutta Panda and Jobyasa Bhoi became richer by Rs 9 lakh each, while Ganesh Chandra Jena took home Rs 3 lakh.
Weightlifter Ravi Kumar and hockey international Birendra Lakra were given Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh respectively for winning silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games earlier this year. But Lakra was not available to receive the monetary incentive.
The government chose not to confer the life-time achievement award for the years 2011, 2012 and outstanding coach award for 2012 as it did not find any deserving candidate for the purpose. Woman hurdler Anuradha became the first sportsperson to receive the award in two categories. She had bagged the Sportsperson of the Year Award earlier in 2002.
Odisha-based SAI rowing coach Jose Jacob, who was supposed to receive the outstanding coach award for the year 2013, could not join the ceremony as he was in Delhi to take the Dronacharya Award.
The sports awards carried a cheque, a scroll and a statuette. The awardees for the years 2010 to 2012 pocketed Rs 1.5 lakh each for life-time achievement, Rs 1 lakh for sportspersons of the year, Rs 50,000 for outstanding coach and Rs 30,000 for outstanding sports journalist. But the awardees for the year 2013 were given double the amount according to the revised guidelines.
Instituted in the name of legendary statesman and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, the sports award has so far been conferred on a total of 52 people, including 24 sportspersons, 14 coaches and 14 sports journalists.
BIJU PATNAIK SPORTS AWARDEES:
Life-time Achievement: Rachita Mistry (Athletics, 2010), Anuradha Biswal (Athletics, 2013).
Sportsperson of the Year: Pratima Puhana (Rowing, 2010), Katula Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting, 2011), Minati Sethi (Weightlifting, 2012), Debasish Das (Chess, 2013).
Outstanding Coach: Ashok Kumar Mishra (Gymnastics, 2010), Gangadhar Behera (Football, 2011), Jose Jacob (Rowing, 2013).
Outstanding Sports Journalist: Tapan Kumar Swain (Dharitri, 2010), Debasis Sundaray (Sambad, 2011), Sarbeswar Mohanty (Samaya, 2012), Umakant Mishra (ETV, 2013).
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PHOTO: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with Biju Patnaik Sports Awardees and other guests in Bhubaneswar on August 29, 2014.
