Awardees with guests and OSJA office-bearers at the 2nd Annual Awards function in Bhubaneswar on 29th June, 2019.

Odisha Sports Journalists Association conferred the OSJA Annual Awards 2019 on rising hockey star Amit Rohidas and eminent boxing coach Braja Bhusan Mohanty in a special function held at Hotel Crown in Bhubaneswar today. Rohidas received the OSJA Sportsperson of the Year Award, while Mohanty bagged the OSJA Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards, which carried a cheque of Rs 25,000 each with citation and memento, were handed over by Odisha Sports & Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Odisha’s first Test cricketer Debasis Mohanty and IMFA vice-president Ashok Kumar Behera.

 

Speaking on the occasion, the Sports Minister and chief guest of the function, revealed plans to promote indigenous games and sports in rural areas on priority basis. According to the plan, the State Government would set up of hockey astro-turf grounds in 17 blocks of Sundargarh district. “This will help hockey talents of the district practise in their native area,’’ Sports Minister Behera said.

He also said that decision has been taken to restore or upgrade stadiums in 30 district headquarters, set up modern sports centres in four cities barring Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The Sports & Youth Services Department would also organise a special training programme for Physical Education Teachers of the state this year in November or December.

OSJA president K Ravi, working president Sandeep Mishra, secretary Sanatan Pani, vice-presidents Sambit Mohapatra and Suresh Swain, joint-secretaries Debi Prasana Mohanty and Samikhya Patnaik and treasurer Himanshu Patimishra were present on the occasion.

While giving an account of the role and activities of OSJA, its office-bearers appealed to the State Government to allot a plot of land or a quarters to the state sports journalist body help set up its office in Bhubaneswar.

OSJA, the state unit of Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI), has been felicitating/honouring outstanding sportspersons and sports legends of the state with OSJA Annual Awards since 2017.

A product of Government Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela, Amit Rohidas has become a regular member of the Indian men’s team with 78 caps to his name so far. He was part of the Indian team that won gold medal in 2017 Dhaka Asia Cup and FIH Men’s Series Finals Bhubaneswar 2019; silver medal in 2013 Ipoh Asia Cup, 2018 Breda Champions Trophy, and bronze medal in 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and 2016-17 Bhubaneswar World League Finals.

Eminent boxing coach Braja Bhusan Mohanty, who belongs to Ganjam district, bagged the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2017. He produced a number of international medalists, including Shiva Thapa, Dingko Singh, Gurucharan Singh and Vikas Krishan Yadav. Mohanty was in the Indian coach team for boxing from 2002 till 2011.

ROLL OF HONOUR:

SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD:

2018: Purnima Hembram (Athletics), 2019: Amit Rohidas (Hockey)

LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

2018: Deba Prasad Singh (Football), 2019: Braja Bhusan Mohanty (Boxing)