Odisha lifter to get Arjuna award 2011

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s pride and CWG 2010 gold medalist in weightlifting K Ravi Kumar would be conferred with prestigious Arujna award 2011 for outstanding achievement in national sports.

The silk city lad would be honoured by the President of India Pratibha Devi Singh Patil at New Delhi on August 15. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5, 00,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll.

Twenty-two year old had set a record in the men`s 69-kg category with lifting total of 321-kg in the history of the Games.

Ravi Kumar would be the seventh Odia to achieve this feat. Earlier, weightlifter Bijay Satpathy had got Arjuna award in 1982. Besides, Minati Mohapatra (cycling), Dilip Tirkey (hockey), Ignace Tirkey (hockey), Jyoti Sunita Kullu (hockey), and Rachita Mistry (athletics) have been bestowed with the coveted award.

His mother K Suriya Kanta rejoiced after getting the news.