Historic Bronze: Indian Race Walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo Shine in Asian Games Mixed Team Event!

Date:

Share post:

Manju Rani and Ram Baboo, India’s famed race walkers, etched their names in the record books by clinching a bronze medal in the newly-introduced 35km mixed team event on Wednesday at the 2018 Asian Games.

Rani and Baboo, both acknowledged national record holders in their respective categories, collaborated for a remarkable effort, recording a total time of 5 hours 51 minutes and 14 seconds. Their remarkable performance left them third, following only China, who won gold with a time of 5:16:41, and Japan, who took silver with a record of 5:22:11.

The medal recipients in the 35km race walk mixed team event are determined by the combined finishing timings of the male and female athletes. This novel structure emphasises the athletes’ synchrony and collaboration.

The 35km race walk mixed team event made its Asian Games debut this year and is expected to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, demonstrating its rising worldwide appeal. India, too, has lately accepted this format, having introduced it locally a few years before.

In terms of individual accomplishments, Ram Baboo, 24, finished his leg in 2:42:11, securing fourth place in the men’s race. Earlier in March, he established the national record for the men’s 35km race walk with a timing of 2:29:56. This extraordinary talent had already demonstrated his worth by winning a gold medal in the previous year’s National Games and ruling supreme in the national championships held in February.

His qualifications also include a respectable 27th place result at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Similarly, Manju Rani, also 24, finished her race in 3:09:03, enough for sixth place. She owns the national record, recording 2:57:54 in her triumph at the national race walk championships in February of this year. Rani’s trophy cabinet also has a gold medal from the June National Inter-State Championships.

In conclusion, the introduction of the 35km race walk mixed team event at the Asian Games, as well as its imminent debut in the Paris Olympics, demonstrates the changing character of international sports. The future of Indian race walking seems bright as competitors like Manju Rani and Ram Baboo continue to succeed and inspire.

Featured Image: LatestLY

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive awesome content in your inbox, every month.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Leave a Reply

Related articles

Liman win FIBA 3×3 World Tour Ulaanbaatar 2025

ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia) - Liman (SRB) win their first World Tour of the season, defeating Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) in a...

Greece to host the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in 2028

MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA has awarded the hosting rights of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2028 for the first time to...

World Aquatics Championships Arena ready for top athletes at Singapore 2025 

SINGAPORE, 16 June 2025 – The new World Aquatics Championships Arena (WCH Arena) is ready to welcome the...

SwissBorg celebrates new status as FIBA Global Supplier, supporting the stars of tomorrow 

MIES (Switzerland) - Lausanne based company SwissBorg has been named a FIBA Global Supplier and will support the...