As sports award named after Naveen Patnaik’s father is renamed, BJD says to BJP: ‘Refrain’
The award was first instituted by the former Naveen Patnaik govt in honour of his father and former CM Biju Patnaik. BJD protests move.
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi with BJD chief Naveen Patnaik. (Photo: Naveen Patnaik/ X) Odisha’s BJP government has renamed the Biju Patnaik Sports Award — the state’s highest honour in the field of sports — as the ‘Odisha Rajya Krida Samman’.
The state sports and youth affairs department has issued notification to this effect on Friday.
The award, first instituted by the Naveen Patnaik government in honour of his father and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik, is given every year at a special ceremony on National Sports Day on August 29.
So far, the award has been given in five categories — life time achievement, outstanding performance in sports and games, excellence in coaching, best contribution to promotion of sports and games and excellence in sports journalism. However, the latest notification said it would be adding three more categories —
para sports person of the year, upcoming athlete of the year (junior category), and sports technical officer/support staff.
The Odisha government is yet to make an official announcement on the official renaming of the Biju Patnaik Sports Award. (X/ANI)
The prize money given in each category are almost same.
Though the Odisha government is yet to make any official comment on renaming the award, the BJD strongly opposed the move.
Senior BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said Biju Patnaik is not just an individual but an institution who has earned international laurels. “Leaders across parties respect Biju babu. He participated in the freedom struggle of the country. I request the government to refrain from such decisions,” Sahoo told reporters.
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