FULL NAME: Rupanwita Panda
NICK NAME: Runi
BORN: 8 July 1965
GENDER: Female
MARITAL STATUS: Married
FAMILY: Rajen Padhi (husband), Ruuchi (daughter), Rishav (son).
HOME ADDRESS: A-501, Kalinga Enclave, Bidyut Marg, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-751012, Odisha, India.
E-MAIL: rajenpadhi@yahoo.com
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION: MA in Psychology with first class
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION: Diploma in coaching from NSNIS, Kolkata and Level-I technical official with 85 per cent marks from the International Amateur Athletics Federation.
PROFESSION: Served as an athletics coach in the Department of Sports, Government of Odisha 1989 to 2025 before retiring as 31 July 2025.
HOBBY: Music, travel and reading
OTHER GAMES PLAYED: State level kho-kho player
AMBITION IN LIFE: To groom young athletes of Odisha and help them achieve national and international success.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS AS ATHLETE:
*     She was the fastest girl of Odisha from 1984 to 1988.
*     She was the state record holder in long jump.
*     Utkal University champion from 1982 to 1987 with records in 100m sprint and long jump.
*     Secured fifth position in the long jump event of the 1985 National Games at New Delhi.
*     Qualified for the 100m final of the Senior National Athletics Championship at Agartala.
*     Qualified for the 100m final of the Senior National Athletics Championship at Ranchi.

ACHIEVEMENT AS COACH:
*     Groomed young talents for state, national and international level competitions.
*     Her international protegees include Renubala Mahanta (SAF Games medallist in long jump).
*     Her national-level students include Sahebani Oram, Kabita Mahanta, Pravati Hansda, Dilip Rout, Saraswati Chand, Lilema, Sekunta Kullu, Birsa Oram, Shekh Bilal, Susama Toppo, Tapati Sahu, Nagendra Singh and others.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATA:
*     On 29 August 2024, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conferred her with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award for Best Technical Official/Support Staff of the Year, which carried a trophy and Rs 2 lakh.
*     Officiated in the 20th Asian Athletics Championship to be held at Pune from July 3 to 7, 2013.
*     Officiated as a technical person in vertical jumps at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

PROFILE FIRST HOSTED: 24 October 2009
PROFILE LAST UPDATED: 15 August 2025