Union Minister of State in the Ministries of Home Affairs as well as Youth Affairs and Sports from West Bengal, Mr Nisith Pramanik flags-off maiden JSL NFR Northeast Half Marathon

Over 3000 runners from all across India and abroad participate in the inaugural run in Guwahati 

February 5, 2023: The inaugural JSL NFR Northeast Half Marathon, organised by Jindal Stainless (JSL) in collaboration with Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), was flagged off today by Union Minister of State in the Ministries of Home Affairs as well as Youth Affairs and Sports from West Bengal, Mr Nisith Pramanik, in the presence of GM, NFR, Mr Anshul and Tarun Khulbe, COO & Director, Jindal Stainless. Supported by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Government of Assam, this is the first time a series of half marathons is being held in the north-eastern region. The inaugural 21.1 km long run was flagged off from the NFRSA Stadium in Guwahati. 

Notable athletes in attendance included Commonwealth Silver Medallist in Weightlifting, Ms Bindiya Rani; national record holder and champion in Cycling, Mr Ronaldo Singh, and international player and national record holder in Swimming, Ms Shivangi Sharma. The run saw participation from over 3000 runners, including international participants.

Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr Abhyuday Jindal said, “The JSL NFR Northeast Half Marathon is aimed at promoting sports and development in the region, aligned with the Hon’ble PM’s vision of ‘Developing Northeast & Empowering Sports’. We are grateful to NFR for giving us an opportunity to collaborate on the north-eastern region’s first half marathon series. The enthusiasm of the participants today was truly overwhelming. We are delighted that the initiative was able to bring the Northeast community together in order to promote sports, highlight the region’s potential, and contribute to its overall development.”

COO and Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr Tarun Khulbe added, “The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has prioritised infrastructure development in India’s Northeast region along with the integration  of the Northeast with the rest of India. We at Jindal Stainless have believed in the overall progress of our communities wherever we have been present in different capacities. The industrial and cultural hubs created in Hisar and Jajpur are testimony to this fact. In the Northeast as well, we are committed be partners in this virtual cycle of growth that causes economic prosperity along with socio-cultural and environmental upliftment.”

Today’s half marathon will be followed by the second one in Darjeeling, West Bengal on February 26 and the final half marathon in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh on March 12.