• July 11, 2022

82-year-old former Kerala MLA wins two bronze at World Masters Athletic Championship in Finland

FINLAND July 11: When most of the men his age are retired a former member of the Kerala legislative assembly from Piravom and senior leader of the CPM, M.J. Jacob (82) has won two bronze medals in World Masters Athletic meet held in Tampere in Finland.

The veteran politician won the medals in the 200 metres hurdles and 80 metres hurdles competition in the M80 category which is for men aged between 80 and 84 years.

He had won gold medals in 80 metres hurdles and 200 metres hurdles in Kerala masters athletics held earlier this year. He had also won gold medal in the Asian masters athletics championship previously.

M.J. Jacob had won the Pirvarom assembly seat for the CPM in 2006 defeating the then sitting MLA and former minister late T.M. Jacob. Piravom is a Congress bastion and his victory was rated as a surprising win in the electoral politics of Kerala.

He was also the former president of Tirumarady panchayath and served as Ernakulam district panchayath member.

The World Masters Athletic Tampere is held from June 29 to July 10th is a world championship event for athletics (track and field) for male and female athletes aged 35 and above.

In an interview with New Indian Express, Jacob said that he is happy to win medals for India and is planning to take part in further such events. “I have served my country as a politician and now as a sportsman. I am thrilled and will participate in more events in the future’ he said.

“Since my childhood, I have always been interested in sports. I started participating in international athletic events in 2006 and have won many medals,” he added.

Jacob, who won bronze medals at the meet, said he was close to winning silver and can achieve it with some more training. “I need a little more improvement in my practice to compete with the Europeans, who are difficult to defeat,” he said.

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