Bhubaneswar: Calling for active participation and initiatives from all stakeholders, athletes, sports science experts, officials and entrepreneurs, set themselves on the mission to bolster grassroot level sports in India with eyes set on Olympics 2036 at the SSI National Sports Award ceremony. It was a common platform for sports science experts, national-level athletes, bureaucrats, sports officials and other sports enthusiasts on Saturday at Kalinga Stadium.
As many as 24 awards were presented to national and international level athletes, most of whom were Olympians, Arjuna Awardees. Interestingly, three legends of shot putShakti Singh, two-time Olympian and Asian Athletics Championship gold medalist; Olympian OP Singh Karhanaalso a former Asian champion and national record holder, Samardeep Singh Gill, were on the same stage to receive SSI awards, organised by Bhubaneswar-based organisation SSI along with SNM Group and with support from Odisha state government.
Three players from Indias womens Ice Hockey Team that won the historic bronze at the 2025 IIHF Women’s Asia Cup in Al-Ain, UAE, attended the event along with Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) secretary general Harjinder Singh. They narrated how challenging it was to break the ceilings and win a medal in the sport as infrastructural challenges often pose hurdles for Ice Hockey players in the tropical country. The team received the SSI Paika team award.
The Lifetime Achievement award was given to Shakti Singh, table tennis legend, Sharath Kamal, and the colossus of domestic cricket, Wasim Jaffer. Swimmer Sajan Prakash, ace shuttler Ayush Shetty, national record-breaking hurdler and one of Indias fastest-rising track stars, Jyothi Yarraji, sprinter Animesh Kujur, hockey star Deepa Grace Ekka were also honoured, among others.
The awards span a wide array of sporting disciplines and achievements. The SSI Karna Award, named after the mythological warrior to symbolise valour, precision and sporting spirit, was conferred across multiple major categories. The Milkha Singh Sprint Award, instituted with due permission from the legendary sprinters family, recognises Indias fastest athletes. Awards named after Dilip Tirkey and Shakti Singh honoured excellence in hockey and throwing events respectively, alongside numerous other recognitions celebrating grassroots work, coaching contribution, sports science innovation and lifetime service. The best coach award was given to Olympian and former archer Rahul Banerjee, C Ajith Kumar and Hariprasad Pattanayak.
SSI founder, Dr Sarthak Patnaik, narrated his vision of strengthening grassroot sports in India to the audience. Taking a cue from the Bollywood movie Swadesh, Patnaik shared that he returned from abroad after completing his specialization in sports science to give back to the country. He expressed his desire to help India in every possible way in clinching more Olympic medals. Patnaik has been helping the Ice Hockey teams of India at national and international events as its chief medical officer.
Odisha Chief Secretary, Manoj Ahuja who was the chief guest at the event recollected his stint as the states sports secretary back in 2012 to share anecdotes about his fondness for sports. The senior bureaucrat, who shared the dais with Dr. Vijay, Director of Sports, Transport Commission Amitabh Thakur and Hockey India President, Dilip Tirkey, hailed the SSI Sports National Award 2025 recipients as the true guests of honour for the evening.
The celebrations continue the next day with the Sports Science Conclave, which will bring together experts, coaches, researchers and athletes to discuss next-generation training methodologies, biomechanics, nutrition, recovery, injury prevention and performance analytics key areas shaping the future of Indian sport.
The SSI Sports National Awards 2024 is co-sponsored by SNM Group, MGM Group, and the Odisha Sports Department, showcasing strong institutional support for elevating Odishas sporting culture and recognition landscape.
With its blend of honouring excellence and advocating for science-backed sporting progress, SSIs two-day celebration positions Bhubaneswar firmly on the national sports map and marks another milestone in Odishas journey as a powerhouse of Indian sport.
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