Pratyasa Ray, a rising swimmer from Odisha, has been selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024.
Pratyasa won six medals – four gold, one silver and a bronze – in the Khelo India University Games in Guwahati in February this year.
The Ekalabya Puraskar committee comprising jury members drawn from various sectors were unanimous in selecting Pratyasa for the prestigious award at a meeting in Bhubaneswar.
She will receive a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh – up from Rs 5 lakh – along with a citation at a ceremony to be held later.
Meanwhile, sprinter Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram and shuttler Tanvi Patri will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in various international and national-level events in their respective fields.
They will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, up from Rs 1 lakh, along with citations at the award ceremony.
Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted by the charitable body IMPaCT in 1993 and managed by IMFA, the leading ferro alloys producer in the country. It is now considered the most prestigious sports award in Odisha.
The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.
Announcing the names of the award winners on Sunday, Baijayant Panda, chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee of IMPaCT, said the award was instituted to encourage young sportspersons of the state to perform at the national and international arenas.
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