Punjab’s race walker Sahil emerged victorious in the men’s half marathon walk (21km) during the 13th edition of the Indian Open Race Walk Competition in Chandigarh. Sahil, 24, clinched the gold medal with a time of 1:25:48.00, fending off tough competition from experienced walkers like Servin Sebastian from Tamil Nadu, who secured the silver medal with a time of 1:25:50.00. Hardeep from Haryana claimed the bronze with a finishing time of 1:26:03.00.
Paris Olympian Paramjeet Singh Bisht, representing Uttarakhand, finished fourth with a time of 1:26:07.00, while Akshdeep Singh of Punjab, a former national record holder, finished seventh in 1:27:37.00. Vikash Singh from Delhi secured the tenth position with a time of 1:30:41.00, while Suraj Panwar of Uttarakhand did not complete the race.
In the women’s 21km category, Haryana’s Ravina won the gold medal, outperforming her competitors with a time of 1:39:15.00. Munita Prajapati from Uttar Pradesh took the silver with a time of 1:39:26.00, and the bronze went to Mansi Negi of Uttarakhand, who finished in 1:42:58.00. Aarti from Haryana, a promising teenager and World U20 medallist, secured the fourth position with a time of 1:43:15.00.
The competition also saw impressive performances in the U20 men’s and women’s groups. Tushar Panwar from Uttarakhand set a new U20 national record in the men’s 5km event with a time of 19:59.00. In the women’s U20 5km race, Manisha from Rajasthan claimed the gold with a time of 23:24.00.
