With an objective of boosting all round health and promoting spirit of sports in the State, Tata Steel on Wednesday signed an MoU with Sports and Youth Services Department, to organize Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Half Marathon 2016 which will be held on January 10, 2016. This will be a regular event every year to commemorate The National Youth Sports Day.
The MoU was signed by Saswat Mishra, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department, and Sunil Bhaskaran, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel in the presence of Sudam Marndi, Minister, Sports and Youth Services and Arun Misra, Vice President, Project Gopalpur and Managing Director, Tata Steel Special Economic Zone. Manikanta Naik, Chief Resident Executive, Tata Steel, Bhubaneswar, Farzan R Heerjee, Chief Guest Relations and Sports, Charles Borromeo, Head, Sports, Tata Steel, other senior officials of the company and Government of Odisha were also present on this occasion.
Complimenting Tata Steel for the initiative, Marndi said such events will promote sports culture and create better sports persons in the state. Echoing his thoughts i Saswat Mishra said the State Government is keen to promote Half Marathon in Odisha as an important sporting event for which it is getting into a contract with Tata Steel for three years and over a period of time to make it an international event where long distance runners of repute can participate.
Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Half Marathon will cover a distance of 21.1 km. Starting from Kalinga stadium, the run will go towards Patia on Nandan Kanan road and return back and end at Kalinga Stadium to match the distance. Apart from the 21.1 kms Half Marathon, 10 Kms run for Institutions, Colleges and Corporate houses and 5 Kms run for School students ( upto 12th standard) will be organized.
Awards worth total Rs 9, 14,000 (excluding applicable taxes) will be given to winners in different categories. There will be awards in three different categories with the highest prize money of Rs 1,00,000 going to each of the winners (men and women category) of the 21.1kms run. Similarly 10Km and 5Km winners would receive Rs 51,000 and Rs 11,000 each in both categories respectively. Top five finishers of the events would get cash awards.
Registrations can be done online at www.tsbbsrrun.com from 2nd December, 2015 and physical registration at the counter at Kalinga stadium from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, starting from 20th December, 2015.The registration fees for half marathon, 10 kms run and 5 km runs will be Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 100 respectively. The last date for registrations is January 4, 2016.