BHUBANESWAR: Namita Toppo, one of India’s most consistent and high performing hockey players, will receive the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2020. The Odia girl was unanimously chosen for the award by jury members of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee after a meeting here on Sunday.
Olympian Namita will get a cash award of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation at the award ceremony to be held later under the strict observance of Covid-19 guidelines. Interestingly, all the three winners of Ekalabya Puraskar this year are women.
Besides Namita, weightlifter Sneha Soren and shuttler Rutaparna Panda will be felicitated with citation honours for their remarkable performances in international and national levels in their respective fields. They will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each along with citations.
163-cap midfielder Namita represented India in almost all the international tournaments including Rio Olympics in 2016. She is credited to have spearheaded numerous wins for Indian national hockey team at international levels. Similarly, Sneha and Rutuparna have brought laurels for Odisha as well as the country through their achievements in last two years.
The annual award is instituted by IMPaCT, the charitable wing of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA). The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.
Announcing the winners, former MP and trustee of IMPaCT Baijayant Panda 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.”Date for the award ceremony will be announced later.