Government in Sports & Youth Services Department has instituted this award since 2001-2002. This is the highest honour of Government of Orissa conferred on distinguished sportspersons/ sports journalists of the State in recognition and appreciation of the outstanding performance and contribution made by such persons for promotion of sports. Instituted in the name of Legendary Statesman Late Biju Patnaik this annual award is conferred in 4 categories (Sportsperson of the year, Life-time achievement, Outstanding coach, Outstanding sports journalist). The Award includes a statuette, a scroll of honour and blazer with tie along with cash award of Rs 1.5 lakhs for Life-time, Rs 1.00 lakh for Sportsperson of the year, Rs 50,000 for Outstanding coach and Rs 30,000 for Outstanding sports journalist.
ROLL OF HONOUR:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN PROMOTION OF SPORTS & GAMES:
2001: Golak Samal (Football international), 2002: Arupananda Routray (Basketball international), 2003: Nanda Kishore Das (Athletics, Postumous), 2004: Sanat Kumar Mishra (Badminton international), 20025: Minati Mohapatra (Cycling international), 2006: Debendra Kumar Singh (Football international), 2007: Usharani Mishra (Athletics international), 2008: Hemanta Kumar Patel (Athletics international), 2009: Bibekananda Tripathy (Marathon international), 2010: Rachita Homyar Mistry (Athletics international), 2011: None, 2012: None, 2013: Anuradha Biswal (Athletics international), 2014: Ashok Kumar Sahu (Basketball international), 2015: None, 2016: Panchanan Gantayat (Athletics international), 2017: None, 2018: None, 2019: None, 2020: Kalu Charan Choudhury (Hockey coach), 2021: Debasis Mohanty (Cricket international), 2022: Peter Tirkey (Hockey coach) & Rajendra Prasad Singh (Football international), 2023: Lazarus Barla (Hockey international, Rs 3 lakh), 2024: Bijay Kumar Satpathy (Weightlifting, Rs 4 lakh).
OUTSTANDING SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR:
2001: Sahebani Oram (Athletics international), 2002: Anuradha Biswal (Athletics international), 2003: Dilip Tirkey (Hockey international), 2004: Ignace Tirkey (Hockey international), 2005: Sradhanjali Samantaray (Football international), 2006: Jyoti Sunita Kullu (Hockey international), 2007: Padmini Rout (Chess international), 2008: Srabani Nanda (Athletics international), 2009: Prabodh Tirkey (Hockey international), 2010: Pratima Puhan (Rowing international), 2011: Katulu Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting international), 2012: Minati Sethi (Weightlifting international), 2013: Debasis Das (Chess international), 2014: Birendra Lakra (Hockey international), 2015: Purnima Hembram (Athletics international), 2016: Dutee Chand (Athletics international), 2017: Amit Rohidas & Sunita Lakra (both hockey internationals), 2018: Pramod Bhagat (Para badminton), 2019: Jayanti Behera (Para athletics) & Deep Grace Ekka (Hockey international), 2020: Amit Rohidas (Hockey international), 2021: Jhili Dalabehera (Weightlifting international) & Shriyanka Sadangi (Shooting international), 2022: Swasti Singh (Cycling international), 2023: Kishore Kumar Jena (Athletics international, Rs 2 lakh), 2024: Animesh Kujur (Athletics, Rs 3 lakh).
OUTSTANDING COACH:
2001: Kamal Ganguly (Cricket), 2002: Sylvester Toppo (Hockey), 2003: Subash Chandra Das Mohapatra (Athletics) & Kishore Mania (Cricket), 2004: Panchanan Gantayat (Athletics), 2005: Arun Kumar Das (Athletics), 2006: Bijay Kumar Kanungo (Football) & Amulyananda Bihari (Hockey), 2007: Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra (Athletics), 2008: Nilamadhab Deo (Athletics), 2009: Kalu Charan Choudhury (Hockey), 2010: Ashok Kumar Mishra (Gymnastics), 2011: Gangadhar Behera (Football), 2012: None, 2013: Jose Jacob (Rowing), 2014: Nanda Kishore Patnaik (Football), 2015: P Dharma Rao (Weightlifting) & Chitrasen Patra (Football), 2016: Sanhita Das (Kabaddi), 2017: Sanjay Garnaik (Athletics), 2018: None, 2019: Satya Ranjan Patnaik (Chess), 2020: Siba Prasad Das (Para badminton), 2021: Bishnu Prasad Mishra (Athletics), 2022: Pradeep Kumar Sarangi (Hockey), 2023: Bijay Kumar Lakra (Hockey, Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Sushama Nanda (Volleyball, Rs 2 lakh).
OUTSTANDING SPORTS JOURNALIST:
2002: Sanatan Pani (The New Indian Express), 2003: Sambit Mohapatra (Freelance) and Samikhya Patnaik (OTV), 2004: Himansu Sekhar Patimishra (The Sambad), 2005: Sushanta Kumar Mohanty (The Samaj), 2006: Suresh Swain (The Dharitri), 2007: Sanjib Biswal (The Samaya), 2008: Debi Prasanna Mohanty (The Samaj), 2009: Niranjan Reddy (OTV) & Gyana Ranjan Mishra (The Sambad), 2010: Tapan Kumar Swain (The Dharitri), 2011: Debasis Sundaray (The Sambad), 2012: Sarbeswar Mohanty (The Samaya), 2013: Umakanta Mishra (ETV), 2014: Satish Sharma (Freelance), 2015: Tanmay Das (?), 2016: Ashok Kumar Panda (Photo journalist, The Samay) & Rajanikanta Satrusalya (?), 2017: Sujit Kumar Das (All India Radio), 2018: None, 2019: None, 2020: None, 2021: Benudhar Das (The Samaj), 2022: Ajay Kumar Das (ETV), 2023: Sukesh Ranjan Behera (The Prameya, Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Bimal Kumar Raul (The Prameya, Rs 2 lakh).
BEST CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS & GAMES:
2015: Asirbad Behera (Administrator), 2016: Hari Prasad Patnaik (Administrator), 2017: Narayan Sahu (Administrator), 2018: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT University), 2019: None, 2020: None, 2021: Rourkela Steel Plant, 2022: Odisha Police, 2023: National Aluminium Companty (NALCO, Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Pradyumna Mishra (Kho-kho, Rs 2 lakh).
BEST PARA SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR:
2022: Deep Ranjan Bisoyee (Badminton), 2023: Md Jafar Iqbal (Blind cricket, Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Rakhal Kumar Sethy (Wheelchair fencing, Rs 2 lakh).
BEST UPCOMING ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:
2022: Sabita Toppo (Athletics), 2023: Priteesmita Bhoi (Weightlifting, Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Sattwik Swain (Chess, Rs 2 lakh).
BEST TECHNICAL OFFICIAL/SUPPORT STAFF:
2022: Dr Bibhu Kalyan Naik (Hockey), 2023: Rupanwita Panda (Athletics Rs 1 lakh), 2024: Dr Sudeep Satpathy (Physiotheraphy & sprorts medicine, Rs 2 lakh).