Hon’ble Chief Guest Shri Raghuram R. Iyer, IAS, District Collector & Magistrate, Kendrapara, District Sports Officer Shri Lokanath Panigrahi with Renowned Para Sports Persons of Odisha along with Successful Participants of the First District Para Sports Meet on this Occasion.

The first district-level para sports competition was organized in Kendrapara district to showcase the sporting talents of differently-abled athletes and create greater opportunities for them. The competition was jointly organized by the newly formed District Para Sports Association and PUNARBASA, an organization working for the empowerment of differently-abled persons, at Jena Pokhari Field near Jajang.

The competition was inaugurated by State Para Sports Association Secretary Sunil Pradhan, senior physician Dr. Biswa Prakash Kanungo, and Chief Advisor of Para Sports Association Kendrapara and PUNARBASA, Dr. Biraja Routray, along with international para athletes.

At the beginning of the event, international para swimmer Monali Swain and fellow athletes carried the para sports torch and marched around the field in a ceremonial procession. National and international para athletes from the district, including Prashant Nayak, Balaram Swain, Sudhir Mallick, and Ranjit Senapati, encouraged and motivated the participants.

More than 40 para athletes from different parts of the district participated in both junior and senior categories. Six sporting events were conducted under the supervision of senior sports coach Sheikh Shaukat Khan.

District Magistrate Raghuram R. Iyer attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest and presented certificates and trophies to the successful para athletes.

District Sports Officer Lokanath Panigrahi, President of Para Athletes Association Kendrapara Manoranjan Singh, Editor Sagar Jena, Working President Saroj Kanta Sahoo, Assistant Secretary Bansidhar Mohanty, Vice President Samarendra Chaudhary, Joint Editor Pratap Swain, District Hospital doctor Sheikh Asif Hussain, and PUNARBASA members Swapnanshu Das, Sanjiv Kumar Jena, Kedarnath Barik, Parthasarathi Rout, and Pradeep Sethi managed the main programme successfully.

Staff members of Aarti Devi Swatantra Vidyalaya, junior para athletes, and young athletes from different parts of the district attended the competition enthusiastically.