MANGALORE: Though Mangalore has contributed many sports talents to the country, the City still lack in sports infrastructure, regretted Payyoli Express PT Usha.
"A lack of interest in developing sports infrastructure is a major hindrance to overall development of sports in this part of the country," Usha told the participants at the valedictory programme of the half marathon at Mangala Stadium on Sunday.
She said it was high time that Mangalore provided a synthetic track for its budding athletes. Observing that the marathons had drawn good response, she urged the administration to make it a regular event in order to sustain the sports culture in Mangalore. With marathons fading out Travancore and other places, it was heartening to see the launch of marathons in Mangalore with a good theme, she added.
Flagging off the halfmarathon at Nehru Maidan, District Minister Krishna J Palemar hoped the event will become a regular feature like the ones in Bangalore.
Overwhelmed by the response, Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav said the event is the first such experiment by the district administration to use sports to project a need for sustainable development without losing sight of environmental concerns.