OSJA 2021 Award For Birendra Lakra And Arupananda Routray

OSJA 2021 Award For Birendra Lakra And Arupananda Routray

Odisha Sports Journalists’ Association (OSJA) has announced its awardees list for the year. This time the association has chosen hockey player and Olypmian Birendra Lakra for the sportsperson of the year award along with former international basketball player Arupananda Routray. The latter is to get the Life-time Achievement award. On March 21, the 7th annual day of OSJA, the awards will be distributed.

Birendra Lakra, who helped India win the bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, hails from Sundargarh district. He began his journey with hockey with the Rourkela Steel Plant’s SAIL Hockey Academy. He is famous for his defending skills on the field. Lakra’s notable tournaments are the Test series against South Africa in 2012, Champion Challenge Tournament in South Africa in 2011, SAAF Games at Dhaka in 2010, Youth Olympics at Sydney in 2009, Junior World Cup at Singapore in 2009, 2012 Champions Trophy, London Olympics 2012, 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympic. 

Arupananda Routray is a famous name among basketball lovers in Odisha, who hails from Balianta, Khurda. As a player he has achieved numerous national and international awards. He happens to be the first international basketball player from Odisha. Arupananda represented India at the 3rd Asian Basketball Championship in Malaysia in 1965 and the International Invitation Tournament in Sri Lanka in 1973. Aruprananda is better known as a basketball coach. At the age of 14, while studying in class 9, he joined the defense forces.