Mangaluru: Former Olympian and Arjuna Award-winning athlete M.R. Poovamma was honoured with the 24th annual Rotary Vandana Award at a ceremony held at Hotel Sea View Auditorium on October 30.
The award ceremony was jointly organised by the Rotary Club Mangalore Central and the Rotaract Club Mangalore City in recognition of Poovamma’s achievements and contributions to Indian athletics.
Vandana Pai presents the award
Former Olympian and Arjuna Awardee Vandana Pai presented the award to Poovamma. Congratulating her, Pai said that her achievements in international athletics, built on years of dedication and hard work, would inspire young sportspersons. She also wished Poovamma greater success in the future.
Accepting the honour, Poovamma expressed gratitude to the Rotary organisations for recognising her sporting journey. She said the blessings of her parents, support from family and friends, and encouragement from sports enthusiasts had played an important role in her career.
She added that the recognition had motivated her to strive for further achievements.
Award recognises achievers across fields
Dr Devadas Rai, chairman of the Award Selection Committee, said the Vandana Award was instituted as part of the organisation’s professional service project to recognise outstanding achievers from different fields.
He congratulated Poovamma on her long-standing contributions and accomplishments in sports.
Rakshan T.R., president of Rotaract Mangalore City, introduced the awardee and outlined her achievements in athletics.
Rotary Assistant Governor Praveen Kumar Sharma attended as the guest of honour. He released the club bulletin, Centaur, and praised Poovamma for bringing laurels to the district.
New members inducted
Rotary Club president Ravindra welcomed the gathering, while secretary Jackson Saldanha presented the annual report of the club.
Mahesh and Srikanth were inducted as new members of the organisation during the programme.
Zonal Representative Rajesh Shetty and former president Bhaskar Rai were present on the dais.
Derrick Steven D’Souza compered the programme, while Rotaract secretary Mukesh proposed the vote of thanks. Shaikh Mohammad Shareef, Brian Pinto and Murali Nair sponsored the event.
The annual Rotary Vandana Award ceremony brought together members of the Rotary and Rotaract organisations to honour Poovamma’s sporting journey and recognise her achievements as an international athlete.