Bhubaneswar: Runner-up Duti Chand has been nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award this year. He was shortlisted for the Arjuna Award on Tuesday by the Central Sports Ministry’s selection committee. The ambassador is currently preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, which has been a huge success for Odisha and India at the national and international levels. He is also the fastest runner in the country.
For the past four years, the ambassador has won the trust of the selection committee with his steadfast performance. As the recommendations of the committee have not changed, the number of Arjuna award-winning players in the state, including the ambassador, will increase to 7. The final list will be made clear after the approval of Union Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju. Two other players from Odisha, Birendra Lakra and Deepagres Ekka, were also named in the list on Tuesday evening. It turned out to be a rumor. Cyclist Meenati Mohapatra was the first Oriya to win the Arjuna Award in 1901. After him, four Oriyas have won the award and brought pride and glory to the state. Last year, Paramadmin star Pramod Bhagat won the award as the eighth Oriya. Featured list: Ishant Sharma (cricket), Shiva Keshavan (Winter Olympian), Dooti Chand (running), Manu Vakker (shooting), Sourav Chowdhury and special Vrigubanshi (basketball), Ajay Anantav (eternal basketball), Ajay Anant , Sarika Sudhakar (Kho Kho), Sunil Sethi (Table Tennis), Rahul Aware, Divya Kakaran (Wrestling) are prominent.
