BHUBANESWAR 29-Aug-2017
Odisha Government today conferred the Biju Patnaik Sports Awards, the highest state honour in the field of sports, for the year 2016, on the occasion of National Sports Day, which was also 113th birth day of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik handed over the awards in five categories in a function held here at Jayadev Bhawan. Athletics Olympian Dutee Chand received the Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, hich carried a trophy, citation and cash award of Rs 2 lakh.
Rourkela-based athletics coach Panchanan Gantayat, who as an athlete represented the country in the 1996 SAF Games and as a coach groomed Olympic sprinters Rachita Mistri (earlier Panda) and Anuradha Biswal, bagged Life-Time Achievement in Promotion of Sports & Games Award along with a cheque of Rs 3 lakh.