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The Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha today felicitated the State sportspersons with cash awards for winning medals at the recently concluded 37th National Games in Goa. Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera and Sports Director Siddhartha Das presented the awards in a function held at Kalinga Stadium Tennis Centre, Bhubaneswar.
As committed by the State Government, medal winners of team and individual events of the 37th National Games received Rs 5 lakh for gold, Rs 3 lakh for silver and Rs 2 lakh for bronze. A total of 169 medalists were awarded a cash prize of Rs 5,31,00,000 for their triumph across 17 disciplines in individual and team events.
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The 12-member Odisha women rugby team, which won a second consecutive gold medal, received Rs 60 lakhs as the total team cash prize while the gold medal winning 21-member Odisha women football team received Rs 1.05 crore.
Furthermore, the State women and men kho-kho teams were awarded Rs 45 lakh each as their total cash prize for winning silver medal each. For the second year in a row, kayaking & canoeing athletes stood out for winning the most medals for Odisha.
The kayaking and canoeing squad bagged a total of nine medals, which featured one gold, four silver and four bronze. The gymnastics squad was also immensely successful with eight medals, comprising four gold and four silver.
Recently, woman gymnast Pranati Naik, who won the Best Female Athlete Trophy for her tally of four gold and one silver medal, received a cheque of Rs 23 lakhs from the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The 12-member Odisha men rugby team was also awarded a cheque of Rs 24 lakhs. While athletes from the disciplines of swimming, wushu, taekwondo, weightlifting, gymnastics, pencak silat, mini golf, sepak takraw, lawn bowls, athletics, sqay martial arts and rowing received cash awards for their medals as well.
According information shared through whatsapp by the Sports & Youth Services Department (DSYS), Odisha bagged 60 medals in the 37th National Games. The 60 medals include 11 gold, 18 silver and 31 bronze. This is more than double compared to their haul of 26 medals in the previous edition.
But according to the official medal tally of the 37th National Games Odisha finished 16th in the medal tally with 10 gold, 18 silver and 31 bronze for a total of 59 medals. Of course, Odisha won one gold medal in mini golf. But it was not added in the medals haul as mini golf was a demonstration sport.
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TOP: National Games gold medal winning Odisha women rugby team poses at the felicitation function in Bhubaneswar on 24 November 2023.
RIGHT: National Games gold medal winning Odisha women football team poses at the felicitation function in Bhubaneswar on 24 November 2023.
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