Debasis Sahoo, promising tennis star, receives 31st Ekalabya Puraskar
Award carries cash award of Rs 5 lakh and citation
‘Not only hard work, time management is key to success,’ says ex-cricketer
By A. K. Sahoo
Bhubaneswar, Dec. 27: Promising international tennis player Debasis Sahoo on Wednesday received the prestigious 31st Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2023 for his outstanding achievements in the sport.
The award, instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), was given by former India cricketer and member of the 1983 ODI Cricket World Cup winning squad Madan Lal at a glittering ceremony here.
The award carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
Besides Debasis, athlete Bapi Hansda and weightlifter Jyoshna Sabar were felicitated on the occasion for their remarkable performances in various international and national events. Both Bapi Hansda and weightlifter Jyoshna Sabar received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each along with citations.
Debasis, a rising tennis player who has four international and 11 titles at the national level emerged as the clear winner this year.
The nominations for the award were made by taking their performances between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023 into consideration.
The event was joined by former Test cricketer and member of the 1983 ODI Cricket World Cup winning squad Madan Lal, former Ranji player and NCA coach Pawan Agrawal, Trustee and Chairman of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee Baijayant Panda.
Cricketer Madan Lal, while sharing his own journey to success, advised the budding sports talent present in the auditorium not only to do hard work but also manage their time.
“Only hard work will not get you success. All you need to do is to manage your time. Never have any qualms about your selection to state and national squads. Just look at the performers and try to prove yourself as the best in your among your peers and you will automatically achieve your goal,” said the cricketer.
BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda, who is the chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee, IMPaCT, highlighted the Ekalabya Puraskar’s positive impacts and recalled how past awardees progressed to represent India internationally, showcasing the award’s impactful legacy.
“IMPaCT has always been involved in social works. But in 1993, we decided to honour sportspersons who had no support system and did not get opportunities to showcase their talents. Nowadays there is government funding, infrastructure, coaching, and sponsorship from corporate sectors which was not there 30 years back when we started this Award. Our intention was to pave a way for young sportspersons, to encourage them and bring recognition to them,” Panda said.
“I’m extremely happy that so many young sportspersons have achieved recognition at both the National and International level. Today, for the first time, we have got a Tennis player. A few years back, who would have thought that a Tennis player would bring laurels to our state,” he added.
Panda asserted that the Ekalabya Award will continue to encourage sportspersons in the years to come. He also thanked Madan Lal and said that he was truly an inspiration for the future sports stars of Odisha.
Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted by IMPaCT, in 1993.
A mere look at the career graph of many of the past awardees confirms that over the years, it has been a morale booster for the best sporting talents in the State. The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.
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Photograph: Budding international tennis player Debasis Sahoo (centre) receives Ekalavya Puraskar from cricket legend Mandan Lal. Also present on the occasion are BJP national vice president Baijyant Panda (second from left), former BCCI selector Pawan Agrawal (left) and ImPact official Kishore Mohan Mohanty (right)
