Former cricketer Debasis Mohanty, weightlifting international Jhilli Dalabehera, shooting international Shriyanka Sadangi, athletics coach Bisnhu Prasad Mishra, sports journalist Benudhar Das and Rourkela Steel Plant have been nominated for the Biju Patnaik Sports Award in different categories for the year 2021.

This was announced by the State Government today. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to present the awards, the highest sports honour of the State, in a function to be held on the occasion of the National Sports Day on 29 August 2022.

The jury committee, comprising State Sports & Youth Services Department Joint-Secretary Sailendra Jena, Olympian Anuradha Biswal, cycling Arjuna swardee Minati Mohapatra, former marathon runner Bibekananda Tripathy, sports journalist Umakant Mishra, Odisha State Table Tennis Association Secretary Rabindra Kumar Parida and Odisha Olympic Association Secretary Avijit Paul, recommended the names of the awardees.

Mohanty, who played two Tests, 45 ODIs and 117 domestic matches, has been nominated for category of Llifetime Achievement in the Promotion of Sports and Games. Mohanty also worked as the coach of the Odisha State Senior Men Team and is currently functioning as a member of the National Selection Committee of the BCCI.

Woman weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera and woman shooter Shriyanka Sadangi have been nominated for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games category. Bishnu Prasad Mishra, the coach of woman para athletics international Jayanti Behera, has been chosen in the category of Excellence in Coaching.

Benudhar Das, sports reporter of leading Odisha daily, The Samaj, has been selected for the Excellence in Sports Journalism award, which not conferred for the last three years. Prior to this, 19 sports journalists were felicitated with the Biju Patnaik Award.

The jury committee has also recommended the name of Rourkela Steel Plant, a subsidiary of SAIL, for the award in the category of Best Contribution to Promotion of Sports and Games.