Hicham of Morocco, Kenya’s Angela win Bangabandhu Dhaka Marathon

Hicham Laqouahi of Morocco has won the men’s category title while Kenya’s Angela Jim Asunde emerged as the winner of the women’s category in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon.

More than 200 athletes ran from the Army Stadium to Hatirjheel via Banani and Gulshan in the marathon organised in celebration of Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day amid his birth centenary on Sunday.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal chaired the inauguration ceremony as chief guest while State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel was present as special guest.

Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed handed prizes among the winners at a ceremony held at the Hatirjheel amphitheatre after the competition, the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate or ISPR said in a statement.

In the marathon of athletes from SAARC countries, India’s Bahadur Singh won in the men's category where Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal became the champion in women's category.

Edwin Kiprov of Kenya won the men's half-marathon while his compatriot Nowm Zebeth took the women's title.

Md Fardin Mia secured the first place among the local runners.

Among the elite runners, 11 men and six women competed in the full marathon while three men and three women joined in the half marathon.

As many as 35 international athletes including 23 elite ones from France, Kenya, Ethiopia, Bahrain, Belarus, Lesotho, Ukraine, Spain and Morocco took part in the competition while 12 others from the Maldives, Nepal and India also were in the race.