Insight Bureau:  Upon arrival in Bhubaneswar following his historic golden feat at the Tokyo Paralympics, ace shuttler Pramod Bhagat expressed his desire to become a Deputy Collector. At the same time, he said he would respect Odisha Government’s decision to offer him a ‘Group A’ job.

Pramod Bhagat, who won a Gold medal in Men’s SL3 Para Badminton, was given a rousing reception at the Bhubaneswar Airport today. He was later felicitated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium. The CM handed over a cash reward of Rs 6 crore to him.

Congratulating, Pramod Bhagat, the CM said, “It gives me immense pleasure to felicitate you on your outstanding achievement. Your victory was a proud moment for the entire nation and will remain forever so. You have truly redefined how Sports can uplift and empower lives. You have inspired a generation of sportspersons and para sportspersons to create their own destiny. I wish you all the very best for greater glories. We will continue to support you in your journey ahead.”

Pramod Bhagat expressed his gratitude towards CM Naveen Patnaik for the continuous support and motivation in his Olympic journey.

Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera, Chairman, Hockey Promotion Council, Dilip Tirkey, Secretary to Chief Minister, Government of Odisha, V.K. Pandian, Commissioner-cum- Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, R. Vineel Krishna, sportspersons and officials of the Sports Department were present at the felicitation ceremony.