Bhubaneswar: State Sports and Youth Services Department on Monday felicitated para-athlete Kamalakant Nayak with cash award of Rs 1 lakh for his world record feat.
Mr.Nayak covered a distance of 213-km in a wheelchair in 24 hours ending on Sunday. If his marathon wheelchair drive is approved by Guinness Book of World Records, he would break the present record of 182.4 km (113.34 miles) achieved by Mario Trindade of Portugal in 24 hours in 2007.
Mr.Nayak covered the distance of 1.14 km between the city’s Rajmahal Square and Master Canteen Square for 189 times. He started turning wheels from 4.30 pm on January 15 and stopped at 4.30 pm on January 16.
Sports and Youth Services Department Secretary R Vineel Krishna today felicitated Kamalakant at a function held in Kalinga Stadium here.
“The Department of Sports and Youth Services will provide all necessary assistance to Kamalakant to participate in the Paralympics,” the Secretary said.