Imphal: A runner from Manipur’s Senapati district H Ngaopulou won the 12th Kangleipak Marathon 2023 title during a competition in Imphal on Thursday.
Around 150 runners participated in the race which was flagged off from Khuman Lampak sports complex Imphal.
The Kangleipak Marathon Race was organised by Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) in association with the Athletic Association of Manipur as part of the on-going five days 12th Kanglei Mega Sports Festival 2023, held in connection with the Yaoshang celebration at different competition venues in and around the state capital.
H Ngaopulou, a resident of Liyai Khunou village and a graduate from Don Bosco College Senapati, clocked 1:03:27 sec to clinch the title, while the marathon runner Manaobi Singha(1:03:38 sec) from Hojai in Assam won the second position while Mayangam Lungleng (1:05:13 sec) from Leisan village in Ukhrul district of Manipur the third.
It may be mentioned that Ngaopulou, who is a self-taught athlete and started to take part in the state level athletics completions in recently, also won gold medals in the 5000m race((15:47:26 sec)) in the 2nd edition of Manipur Olympic Games in August 2022 and Manipur BJP’s marathon competition in the same year.
According to the KSA functionaries, the first three marathon winners will be awarded a cash prize of INR 30,000, INR 20,000 and INR 10,000 respectively while the runners who won 4th to 10th positions will be awarded consolations prizes (which include a cash prize of INR 1000 each) on the concluding day function of the sports festival at Mapal Kanjeibung in Imphal on March 11.
The 12th Kanglei Mega Sports Festival 2023 was inaugurated by Advisor to Manipur CM and Andro MLA Th Shyamkumar in presence of Kshetrigao MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan and KSA president S Bidyananda on March 6.