Bathery: A couple who work in the forest deparment has brought laurels to Wayanad at the All India Forest Sports Meet held in Uttarakhand.

P A Kunjumon of Ceece Karthika and his wife V R Gauri, a couple who have embraced both the forests and the sporting talents along its fringes in Wayanad, have won medals for Kerala. Kunjumon hogged the spotlight by winning gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 400m and 110m hurdles, and bronze in the 100m sprint in the men’s veteran category. His wife Gauri bagged silver in the 4x100m relay and bronze in the long jump.

Kunjumon serves as Deputy Range Officer at the Irulam forest station of the Chethalath range under the Wayanad South division, while Gauri is a Section Forest Officer in the Kalpatta range flying squad. This was Kunjumon’s 12th appearance at the All India Forest Sports Meet, with Gauri accompanying him on the track for several years. The couple has also dedicated themselves to nurturing sporting talent in villages deep within the wildlife sanctuary. They have helped school dropouts clear the seventh standard equivalent course and other competitive exams. Their cricket training for children in Kumizhi village in the Muthanga region has drawn wide attention

For years, Kunjumon and Gauri have worked tirelessly to improve the skills of tribal children. Both of their children are cricket players. Parvathy Kunjumon is a member of the Kerala Under-19 team, while K Pavithra represents the State school team. Having worked in Wayanad for years, the couple resides at Vayadu Unnathi near Vilangad