Senior Citizens' winner Shankar Pawar gets no recognition

Ninety one-year-old Shankar Pawar, winner of the Mumbai Marathon Senior Citizens' run, wasn't a happy man yesterday.

Pawar, who came all the way from Satara, felt he deserved some recognition after winning the 4.3 km race.

"I am aware that there are no prizes for winning the Senior Citizens' race, but more than the award, I would have been happy if the organisers would have at least announced my name in front of the large gathering.

"In fact, when I reached the finish line, there was no one to record my timing nor did anyone come to enquire about my condition. I was lonely after the race," he said.

Pawar, a former military officer, appealed to the organisers to have a competitive race for the seniors next time. "I run for two to three hours every day. I'd like to see a competitive race for seniors in 2012. This will bring out the best in us," he added.