KOCHI: The fifth State Masters’ Games kicked off in grand style at Maharaja’s College Stadium in Kochi on January 12. Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden inaugurated the event, which saw the participation of over 3,000 athletes in the 35-100 age group.
“We are seeing much more participation this year than in previous editions. Senior citizens, i.e. those above 60, make up 30 per cent of the total athletes. The most participation is for athletics,” says Shenu Gopal, the organising secretary of the Games.
The first edition of the Games was held in 2017. “The event is being organised by the Masters’ Games Association, Kerala. We have been able to hold the Games every year, save for the Covid years, of course,” Shenu adds. The three-day event in Kochi will see many sports, including athletics, archery, badminton, basketball, chess, football, hockey, shooting, swimming, tennis, wrestling, and more.
Winners here will get to prove their mettle at the National Masters’ Games, to be held in Goa next month. “Those who finish on the podium there will be selected for the International Masters’ Games, to be held in Taiwan later this year,” Shenu says.
The Games, and its evident success, assumes significance given how youngsters today are less inclined to embrace sports than their previous generations, preferring instead to retreat behind screens. Perhaps the growing recognition of the event can dislodge the idea that there is an age limit to take up and excel in sports.
Bhag Sankara Bhag
Be it the Olympics or a regional event, athletics is, without doubt, the most glamorous event in any sports championship. The same was the case at the fifth edition of the State Masters’ Games, held in Kochi. Yet, one unique feature sets it apart from other events — the oldest runner, E K Sankaran Nair, was 84 years old. Don’t let this number fool you though. For Sankaran Nair is an absolute champ! He won the gold medal in the 5,000 metres category on Friday, much to the delight of sports enthusiasts who’d come to see the Games unfold.
A resident of Mala, Thrissur, Sankaran began to participate in senior citizen sports events some 40 years ago. He even finished on the podium a few times. What perhaps helped him during this time is his habit of running daily. A sports champion at school, Sankaran continued his routine of waking up at 3am and running 10km whilst working in the arms and ammunition factory in Pune, and interestingly, even after retirement. “Running has been an integral part of my life. It changed my life for good. For me, it is like an obsession, and I can’t think of a life without it,” says Sankaran, who represented India in the International Masters’ event in China and won bronze.
Ronnie Kuriakose & Akshai Sreekumar