Passion for walking brings together visiting UAE minister and Tamil Nadu health minister

Chennai: Their passion for running brought them together as visiting UAE Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian went for jogging on the exclusive walking track on the streets of Chennai on Wednesday.

Al Marri, who is here on an official visit to promote trade ties between Tamil Nadu and UAE, and Subramanian, who has run over 140 marathons, began their run from Muthulakshmi Reddy Park in Adyar that ended in Besant Nagar, covering a distance of about 6 km.

“During our meeting, Al Marri spoke about his passion for keeping himself fit. He also said he goes for a run in the morning wherever he is. I told him about my 12-km walk every day. That’s how we decided to run together on the streets of Chennai and the visiting minister was surprised to know about the walking track,” Subramanian told DH.

Inspired by the walking track in Tokyo, the Tamil Nadu government last year notified a 8-km stretch in Chennai as an exclusive walking track to encourage people to walk 8 km everyday with an aim at reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The Health Department has identified Health Walk Tracks in headquarters of all 38 districts and officials join the public in such walks on the first Sunday of every month.

The minister said the visiting dignitary was impressed with the walking track, especially the selfie points, drawings on the walls, quotes on benefits of walking, and resting chairs along the 8-m route. “Though I walk on the 8-km stretch almost once a week, it was a pleasant experience to have undertaken the walk with a minister of another country. We hope more people make use of this walking track in Chennai,” Subramanian added.

Industries Minister T R B Raaja gifted Al Marri a pair of walking shoes stitched together at the footwear SEZ in Cheyyar with Tamil Nadu now becoming a major hub in India for manufacturing of non-leather footwear.

Marathons are not new to 64-year-old Subramanian, whose appetite for running and physical exercise is never-ending.

The ’Health Walk’ is part of a slew of announcements that Subramanian made in April while presenting the Demands for Grants for the Health Department. Officials said the government wanted to promote walking among people as various studies suggest that physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 30 per cent and diabetes by 27 per cent.