DEHRADUN: The 38th National Games in Dehradun witnessed a thrilling display of athletic prowess, as the long-standing record was broken for the first time in 14 years.
The previous record, set by Gurmeet Singh of Jharkhand in 2011 with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes, and 26 seconds has now been eclipsed by a remarkable performance from six Indian athletes.
Leading the charge was Servin Sebastian from the Services team, who not only clinched victory but also established a new National Games record with a stunning record time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 23 seconds.
“I am thrilled to have broken the record and to contribute to this historic moment,” Sebastian said after his impressive finish.
Joining him in rewriting the history books were Suraj Panwar (Uttarakhand), Amanjot Singh (Punjab), Paramjit Singh (Services), Ram Babu (Uttar Pradesh), and Mukesh Nitharwal (Rajasthan), all of whom finished with durations that surpassed Gurmeet Singh’s previous benchmark.
Uttarakhand's Sports Minister, Rekha Arya, expressed her enthusiasm over the recent milestone in Indian athletics, where six athletes simultaneously broke a 14-year-old record.
"This feat not only reflects the enhanced fitness and technical progress of Indian race walkers but also signals the country’s growing stature in international competitions," she said.
The women’s 10km race walk at the National Games also saw a new record set, alongside the men’s event.
The previous record of 51 minutes and 56 seconds, held by Y. Bala Devi of Manipur since 2023, was eclipsed by nine athletes. Haryana's Raveena emerged victorious, clinching the gold medal with an impressive time of 45 minutes and 52 seconds.
"This performance highlights the continuous improvement of Indian athletes and serves as a promising indicator of India’s strong presence in international athletics in the coming years," said Sports Minister Rekha Arya.
The top finishers included: • Servin Sebastian (Services) – 1:21:23 (New National Games Record)
• Suraj Panwar (Uttarakhand) – 1:21:34
• Amanjot Singh (Punjab) – 1:21:42
• Paramjit Singh (Services) – 1:22:02
• Ram Babu (Uttar Pradesh) – 1:22:26
• Mukesh Nitharwal (Rajasthan) – 1:22:52