Geeta Phogat inaugurated the 5th edition of the Ekal Run, organized by FTS Yuva, the youth wing of Friends of Tribals Society, at Godrej Waterside, Kolkata on January 7, 2024. More than 5000 participants of all age groups took part in the annual flagship event, engaging in various timed run categories such as 21km, 10km, and 5km, as well as a non-timed/fun run of 3km.
The event witnessed the presence of renowned personalities including Geeta Phogat, wrestler; Neel Bhattacharya and Rahul Dev Bose, actors; Debadrita Basu, actress; Soumojeet Adak, director; A K Arya, DIG BSF; Surjeet Singh Guleria, Dy. Inspector General (G), HQ SDR (EC), BSF; CA. Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Vice President of ICAI, and many others.
Gaurav Bagla, President of FTS Yuva, Kolkata Chapter, expressed his gratitude for Geeta Phogat’s presence and emphasized the significance of running as a metaphor for life. The marathon participants received T-shirts, goodie bags, and food boxes, with winners and runners-up being honored with medals and mementos. Key members of FTS Yuva, including board members and key coordinators, were also acknowledged for their contributions.
Friends of Tribals Society (FTS), a non-profit organization, operates 49,203 One Teacher Schools known as “EKAL VIDYALAYA,” providing non-formal education to 15,19,721 children in remote Indian villages. FTS focuses on the holistic development of children and uplifts entire villages. With its headquarters in Kolkata, FTS operates from 37 chapters across India and received the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize in 2017. The award was presented by former President Shri Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
