International Odia shooter Shriyanka Sadangi bagged the Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2013, carrying a cash award of Rs 2 lakh. The Ekalabya Jury Committee comprising of distinguished members from different walks of life were unanimous in selecting Shriyanka Sadangi for the award.
Sprinter Dutee Chand and weightlifter Achyutanand Sahu were adjudged as Citation winners with a cash award of Rs 50,000 each. Odisha High Court former Judge AS Naidu distributed the prizes in a function here on Sunday. Due to National weightlifting meet lifter Achutananda could not able to present in the function on behalf of him his father received the citation.
The Ekalabya Puraskar instituted in the year 1993 by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust ( IMPaCT), the charitable wing of IMFA Group- leading integrated Ferro Alloys producer in the country, recognised as the most prestigious sports award of Odisha. The award is given every year to young sports persons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years. Every sportsperson have a dream that in foreign land standing in the top of the podium to listen the national anthem, said Shriyanka. Shriyanka Sadangi has a brilliant national and international track record. Among her many achievements, she bagged gold medal in the Junior International Shooting Championship held at Suhl, Germany in June, 2012, and gold in the 4lh Asian Air-gun Shooting Championship at Kuwait in October, 2011. Dutee Chand grabbed two gold medals in 100 and 200 meter race in the 9th National Youth Athlete Meet, Bangalore, July 2012. She won a gold in 100 mts and two silver in 200 mts and 4x100 mts relay respectively at the 37th Sr National Sports Festival 2012, Ranchi. Achyutananda Sahu won a Gold in 62 Kg, lifting 95 kg Snatch and 125 Kg in Jerk at the Commonwealth Jr Men Weight lifting Championship held at Apia in June 2012.
He w.on a Gold in 62 Kg category, lifting 102 Kg snatch and 130 Kg Jerk at the Jr Men Weight lifting Championship at Capetown in October, 2011. Among others, Member of Parliament Baijayanta Panda, Amar Patnaik, Sanjeev Das, and S Maqbool Ali were present.