UmerkoteSept 8 [UDN}:: Free Bird Fitness Club celebrated National Sports Day at Prakriti Resort परिसर under the chairmanship of its president, Prahallad Tripathy.
Nabarangpur District Collector Dr. Maheshwar Swain attended the programme as the chief guest and said that sports can play an important role in developing the personality and character of students and athletes. Social worker Sushil Jain, attending as a distinguished guest, emphasized that sports are essential for maintaining both physical and mental health.
Several prominent sports personalities, including Koraput District Sports Association Secretary and former Ranji cricket selector Anup Patra, Jeypore Sub-Divisional Sports Association Secretary and Odisha Olympic Association Joint Secretary Ravi Nayak, and Malkangiri District Sports Association Secretary Ramhari Panda, attended the event. They encouraged the students and athletes through their speeches and paid tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Veteran sportspersons and sports organisers were felicitated with certificates of honour for their contributions to sports. Free Bird Fitness Club President Prahallad Tripathy was also honoured by the guests for his lifetime contribution to the field of sports.
Senior sportspersons Durjya Harijan, Anshuman Tripathy, Shashank Shekhar Behera, Lalu Harijan, Sanjay Bej and Firoz Hial were also felicitated for their contributions to sports in the district.
The programme was attended by members of the sports fraternity, club members and students from various colleges. The stage proceedings were conducted by women’s secretary Engineer Chandana Malik.