Congratulating the athletes present and those joined virtually, the Sports Minister said that the State government has come up with a number of schemes for the betterment of sports and sportspersons.
Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: In recognition of the outstanding performance of athletes at the national and international level, Sports and Youth Services Department of Odisha government honoured 237 athletes from across the state on December 17.
Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Tusharkanti Behera, felicitated the athletes with cash prizes in the presence of Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department, R. Vineel Krishna and officials of the State Sports Department.
A total of Rs. 1, 08,83,000 was awarded across various sports disciplines. Out of a total of 237 athletes awarded cash prizes, 172 were in the general category, while 65 were in the persons with disabilities category.
Congratulating the athletes present and those joined virtually, the Sports Minister said that the State government has come up with a number of schemes for the betterment of sports and sportspersons.
“We have been able to build infrastructure for players to excel in their respective events. We have built 11 High Performance Centres (HPCs) in the state for the high performance of the players”.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited Kalinga Stadium and laid the foundation stone of 89 indoor stadiums and inaugurated a number of major sports projects, Behera added.
“The cash award is in recognition of your hard-work and outstanding achievement. You all are role models for the younger generation of sports and I wish you greater laurels in your sporting journey ahead,” Behera told the sportspersons.
The annual cash award scheme of the Sports Department is aimed at encouraging and motivating the players and inspiring them for higher achievements, according to an official release.
