PUNJAB : Here’s an Indian Forest Officer who runs without rest for helping others through crowdfunding to support charities. The 1994 batch officer of the Punjab cadre, Dharminder Sharma has set up six clubs across Punjab. These clubs are located in Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Amritsar. The money collected from the sport by these clubs is donated to various philanthropic bodies.
“I roped in like-minded friends and formed the Chandigarh Runners in 2014, the first such club in the north of Delhi. It has now 100 active runners. Until about a decade ago, there was not much-running culture in Punjab. So, we thought youngsters would take a cue and participate in such a simple sport,” says the officer. Many members of the Chandigarh club made their own clubs, giving an impetus to the fitness culture in the region, the officer said.
On weekends, these clubs organize their own running events, such as the half, full and ultra-marathon. “Patiala Runners has 500 active runners while the Ludhiana counterpart has 100,’’ says Sharma. Together, ‘Daudta Punjab’ has 10,000 members, which is a bold move to shed the state’s image of being a hub of drugs as projected in a Bollywood movie. “The aim is to develop a fitness culture among the youth to keep
them off drugs and channel their energy into healthy activities,’’ he says.
Sharma is the chief honorary patron of Daudta Punjab. “We believe that running, especially long-distance running, is still an underrated sport. It has great potential to wean the youth off drugs and other unhealthy activities. Running in a group is even more useful. When someone joins the group, one commits oneself to a regular routine that requires eating and sleeping well to be ready to rise early in the morning to join one’s buddies. It also develops a sense of healthy competition and camaraderie. Running also inculcates a habit of determination, punctuality and a will to achieve one’s goals,” says the officer.
Combining running and fitness activities with charitable works gives larger meaning to the sport as we support NGOs or charity organisations. The total registration fees and donations collected during our charity runs go to the chosen organization. For instance, this year, we are going to support spinal injury patients through a reputed NGO of Chandigarh,’’ he says.
Also a few years back, the first Patiala Marathon was held in which 25 foreign runners from nine countries participated. The visually and speech-impaired people too participated in pairs.The 75-km Ultra Run from Chandigarh to Patiala is held every year in the first week of December. Some 50 long-distance runners take part. This year will be the seventh edition of the run and the money collected from it will go to a new charity. “This way we have supported six NGOs,” says Sharma.
There is more: After the ultra run, a charity dinner is organized for people who do not take part but want to support the cause. Daudta Punjab also organizes a run for the wild on the first Sunday of every October as part of Wild Life Week. This year was the sixth edition in which a dozen wheelchair-bound people participated in the 10-km event.
Sharma was a sportsman in his school days and won many medals for his college in cricket, basketball, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and kabaddi. After he joined IFS, Sharma took part in an 11-km cross-country optional race and came fifth. In 2008, he took part in a half marathon in Delhi.
HELPING THROUGH CROWD-FUNDING
Chandigarh: The 1994 batch officer of Punjab cadre, Dharminder Sharma has set up six clubs across Punjab. These clubs are located in Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Amritsar. The money collected from the sport by these clubs is donated to various philanthropic bodies