Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Sunday, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) celebrated the 50th anniversary of Coal India Limited by organizing the much-anticipated Coal India Bhubaneswar Half Marathon. With a prize fund of Rs 45.34 lakhs, the historic event attracted over 5,600 eager contestants from all across the nation and was held at the famous Kalinga Stadium. A wide range of people, including fitness enthusiasts, professional marathon runners, and people of all ages, attended the event.
Along with other directors and senior officials from Coal India, MCL, and various districts of Odisha, the dignitaries in attendance included Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Minister of Sports & Youth Services Suryanshi Suraj, MP of Bargarh Pradip Purohit, MLAs Ashok Mohanty (Pallahara), Agasti Behera (Chhendipada), Pratap Chandra Pradhan (Angul), and Braja Kishore Pradhan (Talcher).
Olympian and well-known Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal was the ambassador for the occasion. She highlighted the value of fitness in life and motivated the participants with her everlasting commitment to sports.
The competition included a half-kilometer fun run, a 10km run, a 5km run, and a 21km half marathon, among other categories. For both seasoned athletes and novices, the event was enjoyable and competitive because of the participants’ togetherness and perseverance. In addition to participating for the sport, many did so to recognize MCL’s and Coal India’s outstanding contributions to the country’s energy security. The event, which was planned in cooperation with the Odisha government’s Department of Sports, was a huge success.
