Men's 35km Race walk national record holder Ram Baboo set to compete in 61st All Japan Race Walking Event
Indian race walker Ram Baboo is set to participate in the prestigious 61st All Japan Race Walking event, which will be held at the Takahata Race Walk Course in Japan on October 27, 2024.
The event is part of the World Athletics Race Walking Tour and is categorized as a Bronze-level event. Baboo, India's men's 35km race walk national record holder, is one of the top competitors in the event.
The 35km Race Walk will also be a key event at next year's World Championships.
The 61st All Japan Race Walking Event has attracted a strong international field, with participants from countries like Canada, Korea, Australia, and Indonesia, making it highly competitive.
The event will feature a strong lineup of international athletes. In addition to Ram Baboo, notable participants include Evan Dunfee from Canada, who will be participating along with Mitchell Baker from Australia, Hendro from Indonesia, and several top race walkers from Korea, such as Im Dong Min and Choe Byeong Kwang.
Misawa Ryo, Kim Min Gyu, Will Thompson, Dylan Richardson, and Chin Man Kit are the other names on the entry list.
This international presence highlights the significance of the event in the global race walking calendar, and Ram Baboo will aim to continue his stellar performances on this highly competitive stage.
Baboo, who represents India, will be competing alongside these top contenders, making this event an important part of his preparation for future global championships.
Ram Baboo’s national record-breaking performance
Ram Baboo has been in excellent form, setting a new national record in the men's 35km race walk at the Dudinska 50 meet held in Dudince, Slovakia in March this year. Baboo clocked a remarkable 2:29:56 to finish in fifth place, shattering his previous national record of 2:31:36, which he had set during the national championships.
Despite his impressive performances, Baboo had earlier narrowly missed the qualification mark for the 2023 World Athletics Championships by just 16 seconds.
However, his efforts did not go in vain as he later qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Unfortunately, though, he did not make the final Olympic team due to the rule limiting each country to three entries, and Baboo was the fourth athlete to meet the Olympic standard.