Brahmapur: Recognising exceptional talent and achievements that have brought laurels to Odisha, Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation (MPF), a socio-cultural organisation based in Brahmapur, has announced three recipients of the prestigious Kumara Punei Jahna Lo Youth Achievers Award–2026.
The awardees are Loma Swain, who created history by winning India’s first-ever karate medal at the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, Sarbeswar Bhoi, folk singer, lyricist, composer and actor from Kalahandi and Prasuci Panda, winner of the Miss Teen Universe India 2026 title.
Loma, despite hearing and speech impairments, won bronze in the women’s under-50 kg kumite event at the Deaflympics, inspiring aspiring athletes across the country. Bhoi, a schoolteacher, has popularised Western Odisha’s folk music and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2017 and Prasuci won the national title at the Miss Teen Diva grand finale in Jaipur, competing against 37 finalists, and earned an opportunity to represent India internationally.
Each awardee will receive a traditional Brahmapuri silk stole, a memento plaque and a cash prize of Rs 10,000.
MPF Director Hrushikesh Panigrahi said the foundation had been honouring young achievers who brought recognition to Odisha at national and international levels since the initiative began. He described the award as an encouragement to young talent and a celebration of the promise of a brighter future.
Instituted by MPF, the award has earned distinction for recognising emerging talent across diverse fields. Its illustrious list of past 45 recipients includes Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter K. Ravi Kumar; international boxer Mamata Kumari Panda; renowned dancer Harihar Dash; former Indian women’s football team captain Sasmita Mallick; international woman cricketer Rosannara Kephatila Parwin; South Pole expedition achiever and geoscientist Asit Kumar Swain; Indian Idol finalist Sohini Mishra; international athlete Dutee Chand; human-robot innovator Neelamadhab Behera; celebrated playback singer Sujit Kumar; Google Science Fair awardee Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai; Filmfare Award-winning Bollywood art director Sukanta Panigrahi; MasterChef India winner Abinas Nayak; WorldSkills Renewable Energy awardee Amaresh Kumar Sahu; the “Millet Queen of India” Raimati Ghiuria; Bollywood playback singer Asit Tripathy; eminent epigraphist and researcher Bishnu Mohan Adhikari; fearless “Queen of the Forest” Jayanti Buruda, Odisha’s first tribal woman journalist to be featured in Forbes India; and internationally renowned Bollywood hairstylist and makeup expert K. Raju, among others.
The award seeks to celebrate youthful brilliance, inspire future generations and showcase Odisha’s achievements in sports, science, music, culture, arts and public life.
During these 16 years also, the foundation has inspired more than 3000 school and college girls to participate in the rural sports and out of them 350 winning girls have managed the iconic dance on the stage after professional grooming which they had never dream