Bhubaneswar, Aug 29 (PTI) The Biju Patnaik Sports Award was on Tuesday conferred to cyclist Swasti Singh for her exceptional performance in the field of sports. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presented Singh with a cash award of Rs 2 lakh as a token of appreciation and encouragement for her continued pursuit of excellence in sports.

The award was handed over to Singh here at a special function held on the occasion of National Sports Day, celebrated annually on the birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. The state on the day recognized and honoured players for their outstanding contributions to sports and games.

The chief minister also acknowledged other eminent personalities who have made remarkable contributions to the sports arena. Hockey coach Peter Tirkey and football coach Rajendra Prasad Singh were conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award, a testament to their unwavering dedication and guidance in shaping the future of young sportspersons.

Both of them were presented with a cash award of Rs 3 lakh each in recognition of their outstanding careers.

Coach Pradeep Kumar Sarangi and Sports Journalist Ajay Kumar Das were felicitated with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award for Excellence in Coaching and the Biju Patnaik Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism, respectively.

Odisha Police was awarded the Biju Patnaik Award for sports promotion for the organisational efforts towards the promotion of sports and providing jobs for sportspersons.

Para badminton player, Deep Ranjan Bisoyee was named the Best Para Sportsperson of the year and was presented with a cash award of Rs 1 lakh while Sabita Toppo, an upcoming athlete with immense potential, was celebrated as the Best Upcoming Athlete and was awarded Rs 1 lakh.

Source: PTI News