Bhubaneswar, Aug. 29: Odisha hockey player Dipsan Tirkey received the state sports award from chief minister Naveen Patnaik today on the occasion of Sports Day, celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Dhyan Chand.

Dipsan said receiving the award on such an occasion was an achievement for him.

"Getting recognition from the state government will always be special to me. It will act as a motivation for me to perform better in the upcoming matches," he said.

Dipsan was one of the 10 awardees to be honoured at Jaydev Bhavan here for being an outstanding sportsperson in 2016.

Differently-abled sports- persons Pramod Bhagat, Jayanti Behera, Jafar Iqbal and Sukhram Majhi were also awarded in same category. Dipsan's professional journey had begun in 2009 from the Rourkela-based Panposh Sports Hostel.

With just about 45 days to go for the Hero Asia Cup in Dhaka on October 11, a core group of 35 hockey players, including Dipsan, will be put to test in a coaching camp set to commence from Saturday.

"I am practising hard for the tournament to ensure that there are no weak points," Dipsan said.

Award for lifetime achievement was presented to athlete Panchanan Gantayat. "I am happy to receive the award. The state government is making a lot of initiatives to promote sports in the state, and I hope youngsters make use of them and shine in various fields," said Gantayat.

Sprinter Dutee Chand received the award for outstanding performance in sports, while Sanhita Das received the award for excellence in kabaddi coaching. Founder of the Utkal Karate School in Bhubaneswar Hariprasad Pattnayak was awarded for the best contribution to promote sports and games.

Harichandra Hial and Mohan Garada won the Biju Patnaik Bravery Award for saving lives of five children during a flash flood in the Jhanjabati river in Narayanpatna.

The chief minister said the state would shortly launch the Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana for youths.