Female Hockey Player Lilima Minz From Odisha To Receive The Prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar 2018
Hockey player Lilima Minz, who hails from Odisha, has been selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar, 2018. This was announced after a committee meeting comprising jury members from different walks of life. The Ekalabya Puraskar by IMPaCT of IMFA is given annually to young upcoming sportspersons.
Lilima Minz will receive a cash award of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation at the Ekalabya Award function, the date for which will be announced soon.
Minz represented Indian senior team for the first time in 2011 during a four-nation tournament held in Argentina. She completed her 100 appearances for the National team. She was also a part of the squad that represented India in 2016 summer Olympics. That apart, she was even a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in Women’s Hockey Asia Cup after a gap of 13 years at Kakamigahara city in Japan on Nov 5, 2017.
Along with Minz, two other sportspersons Weightlifter Jhili Dalabehera and Badminton player Rutuparna Panda will be felicitated for their remarkable performances at various International & National levels in their respective fields. Both of them will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000 along with citations.
Announcing the names of this year’s winners, Baijayant Panda former MP (LS) and Trustee of IMPaCT said, “We feel humbled and gratified that our relentless pursuit to recognize and foster excellence in sports has reaped rich dividends for the state and the country. We are delighted that we have upheld the values of fairness and transparency, raising the bar with every passing year and that the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar has carved a special niche in the hearts of sports lovers.”