Odia Hockey Olympian Namita Toppo To Receive Ekalabya Puraskar 2020

Bhubaneswar: Odia hockey Olympian Namita Toppo will be bestowed the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2020.

The Ekalabya Committee members on Sunday unanimously chose Toppo for the annual award instituted by IMPaCT, the charitable wing of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA).

An experienced midfielder of the women’s team, Namita has represented India in several international tournaments, including the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Namita will receive a cash award of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation. The date of the award ceremony, to be held under COVID-19 guidelines, will be intimated in due course.

Two other Odia sportspersons — weightlifter Sneha Soren and international badminton player Rutaparna Panda — will also be felicitated on the occasion. They will receive Rs 50,000 each along with citations.