BHUBANESWAR: National hockey player from Sundargarh, Sunelita Toppo has been selected for the 34th Ekalabya Puraskar 2026.
The decision was unanimously taken during a meeting of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee, comprising distinguished jury members from various fields.
A part of the Indian national women’s hockey team, Sunelita won the gold medal in the Asian Games 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya at Japan. This is after 44 years that the Indian team won the gold and qualified for the LA Olympic Games.
The Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) nominated her for the Ekalabya Puraskar, which carries a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh, along with a trophy, which will be presented at the Ekalabya Puraskar award ceremony to be held at a later date.
This apart, hockey player Amandeep Lakra and badminton player Tanvi Patri have been selected for citation awards in recognition of their outstanding performances at the national and international levels. Each citation awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, along with a citation.
Instituted in 1993 by IMPaCT and managed by IMFA, the Ekalabya Puraskar has established itself as one of Odisha’s most prestigious sporting honours.
Announcing the awardees, chairperson of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and IMPaCT trustee Baijayant Panda said, “For over three decades, the Ekalabya Puraskar has celebrated exceptional talent and inspired aspiring sportspersons to aim higher. Through this initiative, we remain committed to acknowledging their achievements and encouraging the next generation to bring greater sporting glory to the state.”