~ Kendrapara seals the men’s trophy while Balangir triumph in the women’s category ~
~ Winners awarded Rs 2 lakhs, runners-up awarded Rs 1 lakh, third and fourth place teams presented Rs 50,000 each; best player recipients awarded Rs 10,000 ~
Bhubaneswar, 13th February 2024: Nua-O State Cricket tournament, organized by the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, concluded in Bhubaneswar on Monday. In the men’s category, Kendrapara were crowned champions while Balangir were the champions in the women’s category. As champions of the statewide cricket competition, both teams received prize money of Rs 2 Lakhs each. The prize distribution ceremony was graced by Hon’ble Sports Minister Sh. Tusharkanti Behera along with Shree Mandir Prasasak, Shri Jyothisankar Mohapatra, OSD Sports, Shri Swarupa Nanda Sahu, DSO, Puri, Chandan Sahoo, Ex Secretary, DAA, Shri Rabi Sankar Pratihari.
Amongst the men’s teams, Kendrapara lifted the trophy following their victory against Nayagarh in the final match, while Sundargarh and Nabarangpur finished with third and fourth place respectively. For these stellar performances during the course of the competition, Biswajeet Patra was recognised with the ‘Best Player’ award.
In the women’s category, Balangir finished as champions, downing Nabarangpur in the final match. Sundargarh secured the third place while Koraput finished with fourth place. Balangir’s Ananya Mishra received the ‘Best Player’ award.
Winners in every category were awarded a cash prize of Rs 2 lakhs each, while runners-up received Rs 1 lakh. Third and fourth place teams were granted Rs 50,000 each. Additionally, a cash prize of Rs 10,000 was presented to the most exceptional player
The day marks another successful conclusion for the Nua Odisha’s sports initiative. So far, volleyball, football and cricket have now been completed at the state level, with kho-kho, hockey and kabaddi ongoing.
The tournament was conceived as a component of the Nua Odisha initiative, aimed at involving young people throughout the state in sports and arts. It offers players the chance to demonstrate their abilities and participate in team sports while picking up the various life skills inculcated through extracurricular activities.
