Poonch: Indian Army on Sunday organised a marathon in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh' of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

Speaking to ANI, Sabina Parveen, a participant in the marathon said that she is very thankful to the Indian Army for proving such opportunities to the people of the border area.

"This marathon race was organised by the Indian Army. We are thankful to our coach and the Indian Army to provide us with such opportunities. Indian Army always helps us and always provide us with many good opportunities. I wish the army continues to give such opportunities in future also," said Parveen.

Another participant Shitam Jeet said, "Indian Army organised this marathon race here and we enjoyed it a lot. We are thankful to the Indian Army which gives us a chance to participate in everything. I also want to thank our coach who allows us to participate in such programmes."

Majaram Ali said that in this marathon race youth youths participated in more numbers.

"The marathon was organised in three categories. The first category was for minors, the second was for above 14 years and the third was for above 14 years of age," said Mayar Ali Shaha.

A physical education teacher, Vijay Kumar said that the marathon was organised to honour the soldiers of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

"The marathon was organised by the Indian Army in three categories. It was organised to commemorate 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh' of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. We remembered and paid tribute to the soldiers of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. In this marathon, girls participated in more numbers than boys. Indian Army always organises programmes for the youths of the valley. Even in difficult situations, they are organising programmes for us," said Kumar.

The marathon was organized as a part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government is celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to revive and instil in today's youth the spirit and sacrifices of the unsung martyrs and freedom fighters.