Bhubaneswar: International badminton player Rutaparna Panda has been selected for the Ekalabya Puraskar for 2021.
The Ekalabya Puraskar Committee comprising jury members drawn from different walks of life were unanimous in selecting Rutaparna for the prestigious award in a meeting held here on Sunday.
She will be presented a cash award of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation at the 29th Ekalabya Puraskar function. She has represented India in several international badminton tournaments and won several matches in the last two years.
Besides Rutaparna, two other sportspersons will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in their respective fields. They are international women cyclist Swasti Singh and international football player Pyari Xaxa. Both will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each along with citations.
Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted by IMPaCT managed by IMFA, one of the leading ferro alloys producer in the country, in 1993. It is conferred every year on young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding 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 recognise and foster excellence in sports and literature besides contributing to the general welfare of the society at large. Ekalabya Puraskar is instituted to encourage and inspire young sports persons to perform at national and international arena.”
