Bhubaneswar: International tennis player Debasis Sahoo is the proud winner of the prestigious 31st Ekalabya Puraskar, for the year 2023.
Ekalabya Puraskar committee members, from different walks of life, were unanimous in selecting Debasis at a meeting held here on Sunday. He will receive a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a citation at the Ekalabya Puraskar programme.
Besides Debasis, athlete Bapi Hansda and weightlifter Jyoshna Sabar will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in various International and national events.
Announcing the names of the award winners, Baijayant Panda, Chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee of IMPaCT, said, “IMPaCT has been in continuous pursuit to recognize and foster excellence in sports and literature besides contributing to the general welfare of the society at large. Ekalabya Puraskar is instituted to encourage and inspire young sportspersons of the State to perform at national and international arena.”
Debasis, the rising tennis player who has four international and 11 titles at the national level emerged as the clear winner this year. He will get a cash award of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation at the Ekalabya Puraskar award-giving ceremony to be held at a later date.
Similarly, both Bapi Hansda and weightlifter Jyoshna Sabar will receive a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each along with citations.
Notably, Ekalabya Puraskar, instituted by IMPaCT, in the year 1993 and managed by IMFA, the leading Ferro Alloys producer in the country, has come a long way to be recognised as the most prestigious sports award of Odisha, drawing parallels with many national awards.
The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.