The MMP team at an event. Telegraph picture

Patna, Feb. 18: The Mounted Military Police (MMP) have come off with flying colours in their first appearance in the National Games.

They have bagged silver and bronze medals in the individual and group tent pegging race at the 34th National Games held at Ranchi in Jharkhand.

Constable Manoj Kumar Singh won the silver medal in the individual tent pegging race. A team, comprising havildar Triloki Prasad Singh and constables Yogendra Yadav, Jitendra Kumar Singh and Shahnawaz Khan, bagged the bronze medal in the group tent pegging competition.

Sources in the state police headquarters said this is the first time the MMP have participated in the National Games.

MMP commandant Rajesh Tripathy said: “This is the first time the MMP participated in the National Games. Though we have several other medals to our credit, we have created a history by winning medals at the National Games.”

“The MMP had won a gold medal at the All India Equestrian Police Duty Meet held at Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in February last year,” the commandant said.

Tripathy told The Telegraph the MMP personnel will deliver their best at the All India Police Duty meet to be held next month.

“It takes several months to train the horses to perform at the national-level championships,” he said, adding that at present around 70 horses of the best breed are working for the state police.

The horses are mainly used to carry out raids in the river belts and forests where the police vehicles don’t have access. “They are very useful in night patrolling and chasing criminals in remote villages and forest areas, especially in the diara regions,” Tripathy added.

An official, who accompanied the MMP personnel at the National Games, said: “We had never participated in the National Games. This is the first time we took part. We performed well and won medals.”

Manoj Kumar Singh, who won the silver medal in the individual tent-pegging race at the National Games, said it is not easy to maintain balance while riding the horses. “There are chances of losing control of the horses. A simple mistake can prove fatal for the riders,” he said.

The riders of the different units of the MMP had also performed well and received a pat from chief minister Nitish Kumar during the Bihar Police Prize distribution ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan on January 15.

At the prize distribution ceremony, the riders had performed skills like jumping cross bars, single bar and double bars. The tent pegging show was also organised at the function, which was held for the first time in Patna.

Director-general of police Neel Mani said the state police headquarters was mulling the idea to honour the riders for their good performance at the National Games.

He said the police headquarters would take all initiatives to promote the riders, who have won medals at the national-level championship. “We are also contemplating giving out-of-turn promotions to the riders,” he told The Telegraph.