Bhubaneswar, Dec 4: Srabani Nanda, the accomplished athlete, was honored with a cash prize of Rs 9.40 lakh by the Sports and Youth Services Department for her exceptional performance in the 37th National Games 2023 held in Goa, along with her achievements in other sports disciplines.
During a special felicitation event at Kalinga Stadium organized by the Department, Minister for Sports and Youth Services Tusharkanti Behera expressed pride in recognizing the talented athlete Srabani Nanda. He emphasized that her dedication and hard work not only secured a medal for herself but also brought pride to the entire state of Odisha.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who prioritizes sports, infrastructure, world-class training, and the promotion of athletes, has played a crucial role in supporting these initiatives. Srabani Nanda, in expressing her gratitude, acknowledged the Chief Minister and the Sports Department for the award. She highlighted the significance of the current infrastructure, including the indoor athletics facility, temperature-controlled aquatic center, FIFA standard football stadium, and training center, in fostering the development of numerous international players from Odisha in the future.
R Vineel Krishna, the Sports and Youth Services Secretary, extended his best wishes to Srabani and assured continued support from the State Government. Director of Sports Siddhartha Das, speaking at the event, praised Srabani as a strong example of how success can be achieved through hard work and dedication.
Srabani's coach Nilamadhab Deo and physio Arjita Lenka were also felicitated by the department during the occasion. It's worth noting that Srabani received cash awards of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for winning gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m at the 37th National Games 2023. Additionally, she received cash prizes of Rs 60,000 and Rs 40,000 for gold and silver medals in the 61st National Open Championship 2022, along with Rs 40,000 for the silver medal in the 62nd National Open Championship 2023.
