Environmental challenge in Mumbai marathon

MUMBAI: The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has for the first time introduced an environmental challenge encouraging people to select and undertake up to eight environmental pledges mentioned on its website.
    
Standard Chartered -- in association with WWF - will donate $1 million to support vital conservation environmental conservation projects that will benefit three nations, which will generate the most environmental pledges, said Sumeet Singla, Regional Head of Corporate Affairs, said here on Friday.
   
Announcing this initiative at the unveiling of the gold baton, Simon Mould, an official of Standard Chartered said the leading contenders in this challenge were Brunei, Thailand and Taiwan and India needs lot of catching up to do in terms of pledging their support in saving the environment from pollution and climate change.
   
"There is lot of catching up to do and I'm sure the people of Mumbai and India will take this pledge and catch up with the other nations," said Mould.

Adil Summariwalla, vice president of AFI said this year, athletics from over 33 nations will be participating including 53 national teams along with the first Indian women's team in the event.

The Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) is in its third leg and has the two Kenyan teams placed on the first two positions in the men's and women's category while the Indian team is placed sixth in the leg in the men's category.

The unveiling ceremony was also attended by Brazilian Jeovanio Nere and Rosangela Silva, Chinese Xin Zhang and Indian Binging Lyngkhoi.