Army soldiers of Golconda base performed well

Hyderabad: Within a fortnight after taking part in another marathon event on Sunday, the army jawans from Golconda base were in their elements. They received a pat from their seniors for performing well in the event. The ‘elite athletes’ and national medallists in their early 20s, according to their coach, are setting new benchmarks for themselves. Seven from a team of 10, who participated in the full marathon, were able to cover the 42 km within 2.4 hours specified time (elite category). The topper amongst them, Pankaj Dhaka, according to the head coach Subedar Surender Kumar Mavi, was able to finish the marathon in 2.32 hours. Other three athletes also did justice in covering the half-marathon by concluding their run within 1.2 hours (elite). “Our A team took part in the NMDC marathon in August-end. This is our B team. They stood winners in that marathon also,” exuded Mavi. Bahadur Budha of Nepal, of the team, also finished the half-marathon category as a topper. “We were about to leave for Bengaluru, but decided to take part in the marathon. We regularly practice in Bengaluru and other Cities,” he added. Within minutes after receiving awards, the team was receiving accolades from superiors over the phone.