Swimmer Pratyasa Ray to get prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024

Emerging swimmer Pratyasa Ray has been selected for the esteemed 32nd Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024 for her outstanding achievements in the sport. The award is instituted by IMPaCT, and managed by IMFA, the leading Ferro Alloys producer in the country.

Besides, sprinter Dondapati Mrutyum Jayaram, and badminton player Tanvi Patri will be honoured with citations for their outstanding performances on both national and international stages

As part of the award,  Pratyasa will get a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakh—an increase from the previous Rs. 5 lakh, along with a citation at the Ekalabya Puraskar award ceremony.

Similarly, sprinter Dondapati and badminton player Tanvi will receive a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh, up from Rs. 1 lakh, along with citations at the award ceremony.

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 recognise and inspire excellence in sports besides contributing to the general welfare of the society at large. Ekalabya Puraskar is instituted to encourage young sportspersons of the State to perform at the national and international arenas.”

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 moral 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.