CM Naveen honored Odisha FC athletes Bapi Hansda and Diego Mauricio

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday felicitated Odisha athlete Bapi Hansda and Diego Mauricio of Odisha FC.

The Chief Minister presented a check of Rs 25 lakh as cash reward to track and field athlete Hansda for winning gold in the 400m hurdles at the recently concluded 18th National Youth Athletics Championship with a time of 51.90 sec. Hansda, who is now ranked World No 1 in under-18 category, has qualified for Asian Youth Athletics Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan in April.

Congratulating Hansda for his achievement, Naveen lauded him for his dedication and hard work and inspiring budding athletes. He appreciated the coaches and staff for their contribution towards making the HPC emerge as a major hub in the country.

Hansda, who hails from Balasore, is the youngest of five siblings and had lost his father in 2008. After a lot of personal struggles, he found his passion for athletics and was spotted by the HPC for his talent. He was inducted into the Kalinga Stadium in 2019.

The Chief Minister also felicitated Odisha FC’s Diego Mauricio, who won the coveted ISL 2022-23 Golden Boot award. Naveen congratulated Diego for his exemplary performance and contribution to the Odisha FC. Odisha FC president Raj Atwal was also present.

Diego started the season by scoring two goals in the first match against Jamshedpur FC and continued his goal-scoring spree throughout the season and finished with 12 goals in 21 matches. He emerged as the top scorer in ISL 2022-23 season and won the prestigious Golden Boot award.

Notably, Odisha FC has been a favourite team drawing crowd in large numbers to the Kalinga Stadium for the ISL home matches since 2019.