West Bengal Governor's starting pistol slip goes viral at Kolkata marathon

India Dec 22, 2025

At the 10th anniversary of Kolkata's 25K Marathon, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose fired the starting pistol right at face level instead of overhead—even after his aide tried to guide him.
The moment startled people nearby and quickly became a talking point.

Social media reacts , Cheptegei takes the win

A video of the Governor's slip-up spread fast online, with many questioning his grasp of event safety.
Still, the marathon went on with athletes from around the world.
Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, a double Olympic champ, took first place and shared that "India is like a second home to me, because my international journey truly began here," since his international journey began here.