Our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI: As Guwahati prepares to host a Test match in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar hopes the city will witness a result that keeps the coveted trophy in Indian hands.
“I hope it will be nice if the Guwahati Test, which is the third Test, decides the fate of the series, and that too in favour of India, so that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy stays here,” Gavaskar said while speaking to the media in Guwahati on Thursday.
But Gavaskar’s association with the city goes beyond cricket. The former India captain and one of the game’s most celebrated opening batsmen believes Guwahati is now ready to make its mark on the global marathon map.
With the inaugural Guwahati International Marathon scheduled for February 7, 2027, Gavaskar sees the event as an opportunity not only to promote fitness but also to inspire a generation of youngsters.
Speaking about how the idea of hosting an international marathon in Guwahati came to him, Gavaskar drew a parallel between marathon running and the mental discipline required in Test cricket.
“I’ve seen, when you’re playing cricket, for example, that if you bat for a whole day, you are putting that little extra pressure on your body to be able to bat throughout the day, to concentrate and sometimes, when you’re tired, to take that extra breath and tell yourself, ‘No, my team needs me to bat till the end of the day’s play,’” Gavaskar said.
Having visited Assam frequently during his cricketing career, Gavaskar said he had witnessed the transformation of Guwahati over the decades.
“Looking at the progress Assam, and Guwahati in particular, has made in sport over the years since I first played here around 30 years ago, it struck me that Guwahati deserved a marathon because it would have a scenic route,” he said.
Gavaskar also expressed his gratitude to Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma for supporting the initiative and giving the event the go-ahead.
“First and foremost, a big thank you to the Chief Minister, Dr. Sarma, for giving the green signal and the go-ahead for this initiative, and then coming here to launch the Guwahati International Marathon, which is on February 7,” he said.
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