Bhubaneswar: The Sports and Youth Services Department (DSYS) on Tuesday felicitated 72 athletes with special cash awards for their exceptional performances at national and international competitions and bringing laurels for the state. A total cash award of Rs 3,85,500 was presented to athletes, across nine disciplines, at an award ceremony held at the Kalinga Stadium here.
Athletes from various sports received cash prizes, with the distribution as follows: Cricket received ₹1,10,500; Sepak Takraw ₹86,000;Tennis Ball Cricket ₹80,000; Roll Ball ₹30,000 Fencing ₹20,000; Kayaking ₹25,000; Table Tennis ₹26,000; Handball ₹4,500 and Volleyball ₹3,500.
CEO, Hockey Promotion Council Odisha, Deepankar Mohapatra who was the Chief Guest at the ceremony, congratulated the athletes and emphasized Odisha’s commitment to nurturing sporting talent. He stated, “It is a moment of immense pride for us to celebrate the achievements of our athletes who have shown determination and dedication to excel in their respective sports. The government of Odisha is steadfast in its support for sports development, and is committed to encouraging and nurturing talent. We believe that with continued support, our athletes will bring even greater glory to the state and the nation.”
Also in attendance were Additional Secretary, DSYS, BK Swain, Joint Secretary, DSYS, Sailendra Jena and other officials of the Department.
