Swimmer Pratyasa Ray awarded 32nd Ekalabya Puraskar

Bhubaneswar : In a significant achievement for Odisha’s sporting community, Pratyasa Ray has been awarded the 32nd Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024. The decision was reached unanimously by the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee, which comprises distinguished jury members from various sectors, during a meeting held today.

Pratyasa Ray, a rising star in swimming with an impressive track records, has emerged as this year’s standout recipient. As part of the award, Ray will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakhs—an increase from the previous Rs. 5 lakhs, along with a citation at the Ekalabya Puraskar award ceremony to be held at a later date.

In addition, sprinter Dondapati Mrutyum Jayaram, and badminton player Tanvi Patri will be honored with citations for their outstanding performances on both national and international stages. Each of the citation winner will receive a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakhs, up from Rs. 1 lakh, along with citations at the award ceremony.

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 recognized as the mostprestigious 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 preceeding two years. 

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 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.”

The proceedings were organized by Shashank Pattnaik, Convenor of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee.