BHUBANESWAR, Aug. 13: Nila Madhab Deo and Amiya Mallick have been selected for the prestigious Ashok Patnaik memorial sports award for the year 2008. Deo is the coach of Amiya, an athlete.

While Mr Deo will be awarded under the best coach category, Amiya has been picked up as best youth sports person.

This apart, RD Youth Club, Sundergarh, which has been toiling to popularise hockey among the rural masses, has been selected for best sports organisation award.

The awards will be given away on 18 August on Sporting Club premises. Mr Suresh Chandra Nayak, AIR programme executive and Mr Sanjeev Biswal, a sports journalist, will also be felicitated on the occasion.

It may be noted that the award had been instituted in 2000 in fond memory of well-known sports journalist Ashok Patnaik.