Two-Time World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Champion World Champion Chitra Magimairaj achieved a personal milestone when she completed her maiden Tata Consultancy Services World 10K run last week.
Always keen on participating in the World's most Premier 10K run which is held annually in Bengaluru, the champion cueist could never make this wish come true due to her commitments in cue sports. But with the TCS App-enabled race this year, she was able to achieve this milestone at her convenience, at a location that suited her best.
Expressing her excitement, the 47-year-old Magimairaj in an official statement said, "Time doesn't permit me to take part in such races. Either I am out of the country playing international tournaments, or playing national tournaments in other cities when TCS World 10K is usually held in Bengaluru."
The two-time world champion said she didn't think for a second to register when she got to know about the marathon being held amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Because of this pandemic situation, no tournaments were happening for us, so I had nothing else to do. When I got to know that TCS World 10K is happening, I registered myself for the run," Magimairaj said.
"I felt like finally, my dream of running a long-distance event is coming true. And, I was so happy that even in these situations, I am getting a chance to run, and do something which I love the most. I was really excited on completing the run," she added.
The 47-year-old champion explained how she managed her maiden TCS World 10K marathon despite the ACL reconstruction on her right knee.
"I have been actively running since my childhood, but due to the ACL reconstruction in the right knee, my running is restricted only to the treadmill. Every morning, I spend three hours on all the fitness stuff. I spend 45 minutes on the treadmill. The only thing I did was a trial run on the road a day before my actual run," said Magimairaj.
"Also, I have never trained outside before, so this was one of the reasons for me to go and run outside in the fresh air. I would say the app has helped me a lot during my run, with the navigation and the updates on timing. Though I am not a tech-savvy person, I believe it's going be the future of running," she added.
When quizzed about how running is helpful in cue sports, the Asian Games medalist, who took 75 minutes to finish the 10K, opined, "As a professional sportsperson you have to be fit. It's a mind game, just like chess, so you have to be fit both mentally and physically, so running is something, which helps you achieve that."
"If you are playing cue sports that doesn't mean you don't need running. It is one of the best forms of staying fit and build endurance. Personally, I love running, it makes me active and when I run, it gives me mental peace and calmness," she signed off.
( With inputs from ANI )
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