Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, and other prominent figures Tuesday mourned the death of Arjuna awardee weightlifter Bijay Kumar Satpathy.
Satpathy passed away Monday morning at his residence in Berhampur town in Ganjam district at the age of 73 years due to an old-age-related ailment, family sources said.
CM Majhi, in a post on X, said: “I am deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Arjuna Award winner and renowned sportsman Vijay Kumar Satpathy. I pray that Lord Jagannath grants peace to the departed soul and provides strength to his family to bear this sorrow.”
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, also condoled Satpathy’s demise.
“I am saddened to learn about the passing of Bijay Kumar Satpathy, a distinguished weightlifter honoured with the Arjuna Award. He brought pride to Odisha by earning fame at national and international levels. His achievements in the field of weightlifting will continue to inspire everyone. I pray for the eternal peace of his soul and express my condolences to his grieving family members,” Patnaik said in a social media post.
Sports minister Suryabanshi Suraj, in his condolence message, said: “Satpathy’s demise has left an irreplaceable void in the state’s sports arena. I pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.”
Satpathy was a five-time national champion in weightlifting from 1977-78 and 1982-83. He represented the Indian Navy and Indian Railways. He too bagged the gold medal at the Mini Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia in 1981, and silver in the bantamweight category with a total lift of 227.5 kg at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia in 1982.
Satpathy also made the country proud by winning one bronze each in Nagoya (1981) and Damascus (1983) Asian Weightlifting Championships and got a gold medal in Pakistan National Games at Peshawar in 1982.
He was honoured with the Arjuna Award by President Giani Zail Singh in New Delhi in 1982. Satpathy this year was also conferred with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award 2024 for lifetime achievement and contribution to sports.
PTI