Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Rising badminton star Swetaparna Panda was conferred with the prestigious 33rd Annual Ekalabya Award by IMPaCT Trust at a ceremony in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The young athlete received a trophy along with a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh for her outstanding achievements in badminton. The event also recognised other accomplished sportspersons. Weightlifter Pritismita Bhoi and lawn tennis player Aahaan were felicitated for their stellar performances at national and international competitions. Each of them received a citation and a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh.
“This award is very inspiring. I have watched it for many years because my sister was also an Ekalabya Awardee four years ago. Watching her achievements motivated me. I never specifically aimed for this award, but I believe my hard work has been recognised this year,” said Swetaparna Panda while speaking to the media.
The principal guest of the event was Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, while the honored guest was Prakash Mishra, a former director general of the Odisha Police. Alongside the esteemed jury members was Baijayant Panda, Chairman of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee-2025 and Trustee of IMPaCT. He commended the other recipients for their outstanding accomplishments and complimented Swetaparna on her accomplishment.
Aswini Prasad Mohanty, Head of IMFA Corporate Affairs, led the awards event, which ended with a vote of gratitude from IMPaCT Trustee Paramita Panda.
