Bhubaneswar, 19th January: “In the past decade, Odisha has made significant strides in the development of its sports infrastructure. The government is giving special attention to its proper maintenance. My connection with Odisha is quite old. My career advanced after participating in the National Junior Athletics Competition organized in Cuttack,” said Arjuna Award-winning athlete Sinimole Paulose at the annual award function of the Odisha Sports Journalists Association (OSJA), held at the Kalinga Stadium Tennis Center conference hall.

In this year’s awards, former Santosh Trophy player and successful football coach Mohammad Shahid Jabbar was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Odisha’s star athlete Pratyasha Ray was named the Best Athlete of the Year. They were presented with a cash prize of ₹25,000, a certificate of appreciation, a shawl, and a special trophy.

In the event, guests included Hockey HPCO Chief Executive Officer Deepankar Mahapatra, Chess Grandmaster Swayams Mishra, and veteran hockey coach Amulya Nanda Bihari.

Speaking at the event, Mahapatra expressed hope that Odisha’s team would perform better than before in upcoming national sports events. “The government has been focusing on the development of sports and sports infrastructure in the state. They are also attentive to ensuring athletes face no difficulties,” he said.

Coach Nanda emphasized the role of the media in promoting and developing sports, stating, “Media has an important role in the promotion of sports. The effort of athletes in Odisha is now reaching the national stage, and the media plays a vital part in motivating them.”

Swayams Mishra shared how sports journalists not only promote sports but also encourage athletes. He mentioned, “This has been true in my case as well, where I was motivated and guided in my career by sports journalists.”

OSJA president Sandeep Mishra welcomed the guests while general secretary Suresh Swain shared the journey and future goals of the association. The program was conducted by OSJA working president Sambit Mohapatra, and the vote of thanks was presented by the treasurer Debasish Sundaray. All the distinguished guests were honored during the occasion.

The OSJA, affiliated with the All India Sports Journalists Federation, has been presenting annual awards since 2018. The first winners in 2018 were athlete Purnima Hembram and footballer Deb Singh. Subsequent winners have included hockey star Amit Rohidas and boxing coach Brajabhushan Mohanty in 2019, Para-athlete Pramod Bhagat and football coach Panchanan Gantayat in 2020, Chess Grandmaster Swayams Mishra and football coach Arun Das in 2021, basketball player Arupanananda Rautaray and hockey Olympian Birendra Lakra in 2022, cyclist Swasti Singh and Odisha’s first international hockey player Peter Tirkey in 2023, and this year, javelin star Kishore Kumar Jena and Arjuna Award winner weightlifter Bijay Satapathy.