In a prodigious feat like Budhia Singh earlier, Rajiv lochan Gouda of Aska in Ganjam district ran a distance of 68 km from the Gopalpur sea beach to Aska within six hours and nine minutes on Sunday.
In 2011, Rajiv had started running from Aska to Gopalpur, and it took him eight hours to reach the destination. However, he wanted to finish it in six hours, for which he practised hard for five years being encouraged by Judo Association director Raghav Nahak and others to achieve it.
Throughout his running on Sunday, Rajiv was encouraged by eminent persons like Higher Education Minister Dr Pradeep Panigrahy, the Aska Science College Principal, Hinjili and Aska police officers, Members of the Aska Bar Association and socialites Bansidhar Nahak and Satya Narayan Swain.
“We can find many sports talents in rural areas, but they never get proper chance. I was inspired by Budhia Singh who was from a slum area of Bhubaneswar. Right now, my main motive is to make this feat a record,” said Rajiv.