International tennis player Debasis Sahoo selected for 31st Ekalabya Puraskar

Ekalabya Puraskar 2023 has been announced. International tennis player Debasis Sahoo has been selected for the prestigious 31st Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2023. 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. A mere look at the career graph of many of the past awardees confirms that over the years, it has been a morale booster for the best sporting talents in the State. The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.