Telangana Master Athletes Shine At World Masters Athletics Championships

Hyderabad: Malleeswari Sunkara, a homemaker, and a talented athlete from Sunkarapalem, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, and currently residing in Secunderabad, has made Telangana proud by excelling at the just concluded World Masters Athletics Championships held in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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A sprinter, she competed in the 45 to 49 years age category.

Malleewari and Kruti Kadakia are the only two athletes from Telangana out of 129 represented India and they competed in the 45 to 49 age category. 

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The World Masters Athletics Championships are the biennial championships for masters’ athletics events held for athletes 35 years of age or older. Its mission is to promote premier athletic events for athletes thirty-five and over, of all abilities and encourage their passion for active healthy competition, global camaraderie, and celebratory spirit.  The event had 8,000 participants from 118 nations. Among them were 129 athletes from India, aged 35 to 102. Some of the participants were former Olympians and spoke about the level of the competition. 

The competition included various athletic events, including the heptathlon, distributed across three stadiums, each suited to its respective events. Notably, one of these venues was the historic New Ullevi Olympic Stadium. However, all the events were ultimately held at the Slottsskogsvallen Stadium.

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The event also saw several former Olympians participating show the level of competition.

Malleeswari, who has won numerous gold medals in national competitions, marked her international debut with an impressive performance. She competed in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events, securing 42nd, 46th, and 30th world ranks, respectively. Additionally, she was part of the 4×100 relay team that secured 7th rank and the 4×400 relay team that finished 6th.

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Malleeswari credits her success to her coach, Shefil, who has been instrumental in her training and preparation. “Coach Shefil has been a constant source of guidance and support throughout my journey,”

She also expressed her gratitude to her co-athlete and friend, Kruti, who has been a pillar of support throughout her journey. “Kruti has been with me every step of the way, from traveling to Sweden to competing in the events,” and I’m grateful for her presence in my life.”

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“I’m thrilled to have represented India on the global stage and achieved these remarkable rankings,” said Malleeswari, beaming with pride. “This was my first international competition, and I’m eager to continue pushing myself to new heights.”

Malleeswari’s achievement is a testament to her dedication, hard work, and the support of her coach and fellow athletes.

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Kruti Kadakia, a freelance interior designer and resident of Hyderabad says that it was her first World Masters Championship. My first event was the 800 meters at the New Ullevi Olympic Stadium.  To my surprise, I saved 12 seconds off my previous time, finishing in 3:02 minutes for 800 meters and ranking 28th in the world. Next, I had the 1500 meters at Björlanda Stadium. The 1500 meters turned out to be my best race yet—I overcame all the challenges I’d faced during practice, from fatigue at 1000 meters to breathing difficulties, and finished strong in the last 100 meters, shaving 17 seconds off my time and ranking 19th in the world.

I also had the honor of competing in the 4×400 meters relay with Team India at Slottsskogsvallen Stadium. Having raced in all three stadiums, this one felt different—the surface required more effort to run and accelerate. Our fabulous Team India finished 6th in the world, completing the race in just under 4 minutes and 47 seconds, she shares. 

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Kruti says it is an excellent forum to engage elder athletes.  The government must also encourage Indians of all age categories to lead a very active lifestyle. 

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