Weightlifter Katulu Ravi Kumar was appointed as the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the State police on Thursday for his outstanding contributions in sports.
The appointment was approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Kumar is the first sportsperson to be appointed in the Group-A category in the State.
Haling from Brahmapur in Gnajam district, Kumar had bagged gold medal in the 69 kg category at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010.
Notably, the State Government had adopted a rule for direct recruitment of meritorious sportspersons of the State in Odisha Police last year to recognise their outstanding performance and provide them the desired financial security. Under the said rule, as many as 59 sports persons have been provided employment till now and 583 have been given incentives of Rs 2.65 crore, said a release received from the Chief Minister’s Office.