Swetaparna Panda honoured with 33rd Ekalabya Puraskar

Bhubaneswar, Nov 17: The prestigious 33rd Ekalabya Puraskar was presented to ace shuttler Swetaparna Panda at a grand ceremony held at the Mayfair Convention on Sunday. The award, instituted to honour outstanding sporting talent from Odisha, recognises Ms. Panda’s consistent achievements and rising impact in national badminton circuits. She received a cash prize of ₹7 lakh, along with a gleaming trophy, in acknowledgement of her exceptional performances.

The ceremony also celebrated two promising young sportspersons with Ekalabya Citations. Noted weightlifter Priteesmita Bhoi and talented tennis player Aahan were felicitated for their remarkable accomplishments on both national and international platforms. Each citation winner was awarded a cash prize of ₹1.5 lakh, highlighting the committee’s commitment to encouraging emerging talent.

The event was graced by Pitambar Acharya, Honourable Advocate General of Odisha, who attended as the Chief Guest. Prakash Mishra, IPS (Retd.), Advisor to the Chief Minister of Odisha, joined as the Guest of Honour Baijayant Panda, Chairman of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee-2025 and Trustee of IMPaCT, along with distinguished Jury members, also marked their presence.

The ceremony concluded with a formal Vote of Thanks delivered by Paramita Panda, Trustee of IMPaCT. Event coordination was efficiently managed by Aswini Prasad Mohanty, Convenor of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee-2025 and Head of Corporate Affairs, IMFA Ltd.