Bhubaneswar: It was a proud moment for Odisha mountaineer Nilachala Parida and other COVID warriors of the country as Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore’s players on Monday donned jerseys with the COVID heroes' name printed on it during the match.
During the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Chris Morris donned a jersey with the Nilachala’s name printed on it.
South African cricketer honours Odisha's 'COVID Hero' in IPL 2020 The South African cricketer honoured Parida as a ‘COVID Hero’ as the mountaineer had set up a vegetable shack during the lockdown and offered free home delivery to senior citizens.
Morris also temporarily renamed his Twitter profile name as ‘Nilachala Parida’ as a mark of respect for the man from Odisha.
Parida, the mountaineer who resides in Bhubaneswar, started selling vegetables during the COVID-19 lockdown to support his family and raise money for Government’s COVID relief funds.
He also delivered vegetables to people staying within the radius of 10 km with no distance limit for senior citizens.
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Thanking the team for this wonderful gesture, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik took to Twitter and said, “Appreciate Chris Morris and RCB for showcasing the selfless work of people like Nilachala Parida of Odisha at the grand stage of IPL-2020. These good samaritans inspire the society to stand up for those affected the most by the pandemic.”
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Nilachala said, "All this happened which I had never dreamt. I am conveying my thanks to all the officials of RCB as also to the State Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik. My name found a place on the jersey of all the players and their playing kits is the greatest achievement of my life."
"This Twitter name change and jersey with my name on it came as a surprise and I even asked a few friends to cross-check it. I could not believe that my small effort to help people was being recognised and acknowledged," he said.
To acknowledge the efforts and honour the sacrifices made by real challengers like Nilachala, RCB team proudly don a tribute jersey with the message “My COVID Heroes” both during training and matches for the entire tournament.
