Sunelita Toppo selected for 34th Ekalabya Puraskar 2026
Hockey player Sunelita Toppo will receive Rs 7 lakh and a trophy for her sporting achievements.
Hockey player Sunelita Toppo has been selected for the 34th Ekalabya Puraskar for 2026, according to reports by Odisha Bytes, OTV and The New Indian Express. The decision was taken unanimously by the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee during a meeting in Bhubaneswar.
Toppo, a national hockey player from Sundargarh, will receive a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh. Her achievements include winning a gold medal with the Indian women's hockey team at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and scoring a goal at the 2026 Women's Hockey World Cup.
Hockey player Amandeep Lakra and badminton player Tanvi Patri have been named citation award recipients. Each will receive Rs 1.5 lakh and a citation or certificate of merit for their performances at national and international levels.
The Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted in 1993 by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) and is managed by Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA). The award recognises young sportspersons from Odisha for outstanding achievements during the preceding two years.
Chairperson of the Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and IMPaCT Trustee Baijayant Panda said the initiative aims to acknowledge achievements and encourage the next generation to bring sporting glory to the state.