Over 12-hours practice for two months and special yoga and meditation sessions led the ITBP to win the best marching contingent award for the sixth time -- highest in the last two decades achieved by any paramilitary or auxiliary force -- on Republic Day.
The 148-member Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) contingent was led by Assistant Commandant Akshay Deshmukh.
The force, raised in 1962 and which is mandated to guard the 3,448 km India-China frontier, participated in the parade after a two-year gap.
"It was a matter of pride for us as our contingent adjudged as the best marching contingent in this year's Republic Day parade," ITBP Spokesperson Vivek Pandey told IANS here on Monday.
"The best part of the contingent is that it represented all formations of the force comprising members from almost all its units."
According to Pandey, the ITBP has won the best contingent trophy for the sixth time in last 22 years, earlier being in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2011.
The officer credited 12 to 14 hours of rigorous practice, upto 19 km every day route march, special yoga and meditation for the last two months for the achievement.
"Proportionate diet and liquid intake by the members of the contingent were also monitored to shape the personnel to do their best in the drill," said the official.
--IANS
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