Mangaluru: Veteran litterateur Usha P Rai and sportswoman Shreema Priyadarshini have been chosen for the prestigious ‘Abbakka Award – 2019-20’.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, after releasing the invitation for the Abbakka Utsav, scheduled to be held at the Asaigoli Kendra Maidan in Konaje village on February 29 and March 1, said that both Usha P Rai and Shreema Priyadarshini have contributed much to their respective fields. While Usha P Rai has excelled in the literature field, Shreema has received many national and international awards in the sports field.
Usha’s literary works like small stories, novel, essay, poems etc. helped her fetch many awards like ‘Padma Bhushan B Sarojadevi Literary award’, ‘Kannada Sahitya Parishad award’, ‘Karavali Rathna award’, ‘Amma Award’, ‘Baliyendra Award’, ‘Lalithadevi Gurusiddappa Sindhura Datthi Award’, ‘Pankaja Shri Award and Aryabhata International Award. After she met with an accident at the age of 60, she started painting and excelled in that too.
Shreema, an employee of the Railway department has secured many national and international awards between 2002 and 2018. She has secured a gold medal in discus throw, setting a state record in 2003. She secured the gold in 100-meter hurdles, heptathlon, discus throw with a record, during the Mangalore University sports meet held in 2007. Later, she grabbed many awards in 100 meters hurdles, heptathlon both national and international sports meet. She represented India in the SAARC games, SAF games, Asian Star Meet and Asian Grand Prix.
Both will be presented the Abbakka Award during the valedictory programme of the Abbakka Utsav on March 1. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 25,000, citation and memento, Kota informed.
Dakshina Kannada District Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Roopa M J and others were present.
