In light of a recent incident in which an elderly man lost his life while competing in the annual Brisk Walk Competition, the Chandigarh Senior Citizens’ Association has decided to make the event non-competitive.

From next year, it will be called ‘Brisk Walk and Run, Only for Fun’ and there will no prizes at stake. Physically challenged persons will also be encouraged to participate and the event will have no upper age limit for participation, the association decided on Thursday.

The competition is held every year since it began as a collaboration between the Chandigarh Senior Citizens’ Association and the Chandigarh Police in 2002. In the last four years, two participants have lost their lives competing in the event, the recent case being that of 71-year-old Bishan Singh Parmar, a resident of Modern Housing Complex, Manimajra, who fainted when he was about to complete the four-kilometre walk and later died. In 2005, Janak Raj Arora, a retired superintendent of the Punjab Civil Secretariat, had also died in a similar manner.

“The event will be only for fun from next year, sans the competition. We have noticed that some contestants go overboard while trying to win the prize. The event from now onwards would be open to all, citizens even above 85 years of age or even a person on crutches,” said Major General (Retd) M S Kandal, president of the association.

The idea has also been given a nod by the UT police department. “The suggestion has already been communicated to the Director General of Police, S K Jain. He has appreciated the idea and given his nod to it,” added the president.

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