She has been a champion marathoner back in 1990s and after retirement her love for sports does not seem to cease. Sunita Godara after her retirement has always maintained a close relationship with sports and is an active name when it comes to the sports in the country.

Founder and director of Health Fitness Trust and an active member of Health Fitness Trust, Sunita has won many marathons while representing the country. Winner of Asian Marathon back in 1992, Sunita is now committed to making sports in India free from corruption and drugs.

In an interview during a build-up race ahead of the Delhi Half Marathon, she spoke to Indian Sports News about marathons in India, Clean Sports India and more.

Excerpts:

ISN: What is the occasion of holding this race?

Sunita: Every year I organise build-up race ahead of big marathons that take place in India. This race acts as perfect platform the runners to improve on their timing. It is 12 km trial run and it will help these athletes ahead of the Delhi Half Marathon coming up later this month and the subsequent marathons.

ISN: How did this event come into existence?

Sunita: I started this race years ago when I turned 50. It is called the Golden Jubilee Run and it is just an attempt to help the upcoming and aspiring athletes to help them with their preparations.

ISN: You have been a champion marathoner and won many a races. So what do you have to say on the current scenario of the sport in the country?

Sunita: First of all I would like to say that the sports have come a long distance. There were lack of quality events during my running days and I had to go abroad in every three months to take part in good event. But then now things have improved a lot and there are very good events that take place in India. There are so many world class races that take place in the country nowadays and it has made things very easy for the athletes. They get the opportunity to rub their shoulders to top athletes which has been of great help. Only thing that Indian runners should now work on is improving their timing.

ISN: You are involved with Clean Sports India which is aimed at creating a clean sporting environment. Could you say something on that?

Sunita: Clean Sports India aims to make keep sports out of corruption, drug and other malice. After playing our bit in making sports drugs free, we are now aimed at making it free from corruption. We will keep on raising our voices against corruption and malpractices within the sports federation till the time we do not succeed.

ISN: Do you have any campaigns coming up in recent time?

Sunita: Yes we have few campaigns coming up. In the Delhi Half Marathon we are planning to form a group of 200 runners who will run under the Clean Sports India and will raise awareness for clean sports. And we also have started our movement in bringing clean people in sports federations.

ISN: Delhi High Court couple of days back has ordered the Indian Olympic Association to conduct elections under the Sports Ministry norms? What do you have to say on this?

Sunita: It is a very good move and it will change things for good. I am not saying that people over the age of 70 do not make good administrators but then there is a nexus that has been created which is very important to break.

ISN: Lastly what would you say about India’s performance in the London Olympics?

Sunita: I will have to take use of a pyramid to give the answer to this question. We have a population of 120 crores in the country and 1 crore take up sports. Out of that 10 lakh people have potential but then only 10,000 athletes get facilities. So under these conditions whatever they have achieved is great. Olympic is not at that level in the country and to increase the number of medals, the infrastructure will have to be improved and a plan to strengthen the grass-root level will have to devised. 

Brief Profile of Sunita Godara:

In 1992 Sunita Godara won the 3rd Asian Marathon Championship Gold Medal in Indonesia. As an eminent international athlete marathoner of repute Sunita Godara has completed 76 Full marathons (42.2km) till date with 50 Int’l Medals (won 25 Golds, 12 Silvers & 13 Bronzes) across the globe in 26 countries and a total of 120,000 Kms covered in training. Her more than 200 int’l Races include 123 Half Marathons (21km) in her Marathon running carrier of 26 years (1984 – 2010). She holds the record of winning maximum number of Int’l Marathons by any Indian.

She has won international marathons in Asia in Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. She ran the 1985 Boston Marathon and the London Marathon twice in 1990 & 1992.

Her personal best marathon time of 2 hrs 43 min 33 seconds, clocked in Paris Marathon in 1993. Her Half Marathon is 1hr 16min in Italy 1992 and 10km in 35:45sec. in the Inter State athletic Meet 1991.

She was among top ten overall women in Las Vegas, Polland, Belgrade, Italy, Paris marathons and Australia Melbourne Marathon (5th Position), Holland Marathon 3rd Position in 1993.

Among her illustrious achievements have been the Gold Medal in the 3rd Asian Marathon 1992 in Indonesia and the Bronze Medal in the 6th Asian Marathon Championship 1998 in Bangkok. She won the famous Penang Int’l marathon of Malaysia in 1989 – 90-91 and the Egyptian Int’l Marathon 1992- 93 -94 for three years in a row. She was winner of Procam Marathons in Delhi & Mumbai way back in 2005-06.

· Presently Coordinating Elite Indian National Marathoners from all over India.

· Olympic Torch Bearer/Escort Runner at the Atlanta Olympics 1996.

· Sports Awards – Bhim Award 1994 from Haryana Govt,

· Life time sports Achievement Award 2010 from Women Int’l Networking,

· Sports Achiever Award 2012 from Jaipur Marathon organization.

· Rajiv Gandhi Award for Peace & Social Development on 21 May 2012 by the Indian Institute of Human Studies.

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By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News Network