Indian militarymen set for first baptism in pentathlon

Hyderabad, July 9 (UNI) Indian military athletes are set to be baptised in a new discipline when military pentathlon is held for the first time in the country during the 4th World Military Games (WMG) here from October 14 to 21.

The discipline, which will have five component events of obstacle swimming, obstacle run, projectile throwing, 200m shooting and cross country race will be a test of endurance for the athletes.

Military pentathlon has been an important event in the three earlier editions of WMG, but India had not so far fielded any athlete in this discipline.

In fact, India's first foray in WMG was in 2003 in Catania (Italy) from where a small contingent returned with just a bronze medal.

''It is a big challenge for us to host military pentathlon for the first time in the country. It is purely a military discipline and is the third combat discipline in the WMG besides shooting and parachuting,'' Colonel KJ Singh of Artillery Centre here told journalists.

Athletes will have to overcome four obstacles along a 50m swimming course in the first event. In the second, they have to run a 500m distance which has 20 standard obstacles.

The projectile throwing will test the accuracy and distance covered. For accuracy, they will have to throw a grenade-shaped iron object, weighing 575gm, and points will be given if it falls inside circles having diameters of 20-25m and 30-35m.

In shooting, the athletes will be tested for accuracy and speed along a 200m target while cross country will have 8km run for men and 4km for women.

''Top finishers will be decided by adding the points scored by the athletes from the five events. The qualifying mark for participation in the Games has been fixed at 4750,'' Singh said.

India will enter six participants in men's section while no women will take part in the discipline largely dominated by Chinese men and women.

156 men and 53 women from thirty countries have so far confirmed participation and all the five events will be held at Artillery Centre here which has been constructed by the Army for the WMG.

The most impressive facility which came up for hosting military pentathlon was the 200m shooting range whose equipments, Singh claimed, have been imported from Switzerland.

''We have constructed the range from the scratch. It is a state-of-the-art facility and all the equipments -- the targets, the tanner rifles, the ammunition, the points recorder -- are imported from a Swiss firm Sius Ascor,'' Singh added.

The points received by each shooter will be shown at the recorder at the side of the shooter which is linked to the command desk which shows all the points collected by each of the shooters.

The desk is then connected to the control room from which the final rankings are issued.

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