Australia's Acting High Commissioner to India, Chris Elstoft, today thanked the Government of India for the support extended to Australian marathon runner Pat Farmer as he continues on his 'Spirit of India' Run.
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Mr.Elstoft, who joined Mr.Farmer to launch the run from Kanyakumari on January 26, extended his thanks to the governments of the 12 states that were hosting the former MP on his journey across India.
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"Wherever he has gone, Mr.Farmer and his team have been extended the warmest of welcomes by government officials and the people of India," he said.
Mr.Elstoft said the Indian Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of External Affairs and the state tourism departments had done a wonderful job in helping to plan the run, as well as providing logistics and ground support.
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He also noted the support of the Indian High Commissioner in Australia, Navdeep Suri, who had been instrumental in making the event a success.
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Mr.Elstoft said the run, which is being filmed for a documentary, would show Australians parts of India they had never seen before, helping to encourage Australians to visit 'Incredible India'.
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"An Australian film crew will document the run as Mr Farmer makes his way from the tip to the top of India, helping create awareness about India as a 'must experience' destination," he said.
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"It will also generate support for charity, particularly to raise funds for education of the girl child in India."
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Mr.Farmer will run across 12 states, covering a distance of 4600 kilometers and finish in Srinagar on March 30.
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He launched the epic journey from Kanyakumari on 26 January - an auspicious day in both India (Republic Day) and Australia (Australia Day).
Mr Farmer has already crossed from Tamil Nadu into Kerala before his journey takes him on to Karnataka, and then on to Goa and Maharashtra. He will also run through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab before finally reaching Jammu and Kashmir.