Malleeswari Sunkara Excels at World Masters Athletics Championship Held in Sweden

Hyderabad: Malleeswari Sunkara, a homemaker, 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.

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 competed in the 45 to 49 years age category. 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, ranging in age from 35 to 102. Some of the participants were former Olympians and spoke about the level of the competition.

The competition included various athletic events and 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. 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 4x100 relay team that secured 7th rank and the 4x400 relay team that finished 6th. "I'm thrilled to have represented India on the global stage and achieved these remarkable rankings," said Malleeswari.

Kruti Kadakia, a freelance interior designer and resident of Hyderabad said it was her first World Masters Championship. My first event was the 800 meters at the New Ullevi Olympic Stadium. I had the honour of competing in the 4x400 meters relay with Team India at Slottsskogsvallen Stadium. Kruti said the government must encourage Indians of all ages to lead an active lifestyle.