Manju and Baboo secure bronze in 35km mixed team race walk at Asian Games

Indian race walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo secured the bronze medal in the debut of the 35km mixed team event at the Asian Games. Both Rani and Baboo, who are national record holders in their respective women’s and men’s race walking events, combined their efforts to achieve a total time of 5 hours, 51 minutes, and 14 seconds, earning them a third-place finish. They trailed behind China, who clinched gold with a time of 5 hours, 16 minutes, and 41 seconds, and Japan, who secured silver with a time of 5 hours, 22 minutes, and 11 seconds. This event, which combines the times of male and female athletes, marked the first time the 35km race walk mixed team event was featured in the Asian Games.

Notably, this mixed team race walk event is set to debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was introduced in India a couple of years ago. Ram Baboo, 24 years old, recorded a time of 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 11 seconds to secure fourth place in the men’s race, and Manju Rani, also 24 years old, finished sixth in the women’s race with a time of 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 3 seconds. Baboo had previously set the national record for the 35km race walk in March with a time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 56 seconds. Rani had established her national record in February during the national race walk championships with a time of 2 hours, 57 minutes, and 54 seconds. She had also achieved gold in the National Inter-State Championships held in June.