The national capital witnessed a surge of energy and enthusiasm as over 400 riders gathered at the Major Dhyanchand National stadium for the special Women’s Day pink cyclothon edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle on March 9.
Indian boxer Manisha Moun, former tennis player Ankita Bhambri as well as 13 India international cyclists, who competed recently at the Asian Track Cycling Championships in Malaysia, joined in.
The morning’s event was held in partnership with the Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council (SPEFL-SC) and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). The athletes took part in a 3km joyride after being felicitated by Smt. Meeta Rajiv Lochan (IAS), Secretary, Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), was the chief guest.
Lauding the achievements of young athletes and coaches, Smt. Meeta Lochan mentioned, “All our young athletes are getting so many medals internationally, and we have more competitions to come, including multiple World Championships. I am hopeful the Indian flag will continue being unfurled in all these events. The young champions are our country’s future. India has embraced you openly, and now I want the world to recognize the merit these kids have.”
Manisha Moun, bronze medalist at the Boxing World Championships 2022 in Istanbul, spoke passionately about the event’s impact. “The motivation that I saw today from the young participants and mostly the women here who have led from the front, perfectly aligns with our Prime Minister’s vision of Fit India. Cycling in both the morning and evening is perfect for addressing obesity. It’s not only essential for us boxers but also important for all,” she said.
Prominent cyclist Ronaldo Singh, hailing from Imphal, spoke about the tremendous pan-India reach the cycling drive has reached in the last few months. “The Fit India Sundays on Cycle has reached every location in the country. People from my state, Manipur, and my teammates David Beckham and Esow Alben’s hometown, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are taking part as well. I also see that people from Trivandrum and multiple remote parts of India also participating,” said the 4-time medalist at the Asian Track Cycling Championships.
Speaking about the huge number of youngsters at the event, Ronaldo added, “The kids here remind me of my childhood when I used to cycle to go for my tuitions back home. I started from there. I feel this young generation also can become like me and my teammates if they continue pursuing cycling dedicatedly and take it up as a competitive sport in the long run.”
The Fit India Sundays on Cycle event, initiated by Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, has now reached over 4200 locations across the country since December 2024. In commemoration of Women’s Day 2025, the event was organised across various SAI Regional Centres (RCs), which saw significant participation of women cyclists. A pink cyclothon took place at SAI Training Centre Kokrajhar, under RC SAI Guwahati, in collaboration with Bodoland University. The event, flagged off by Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. B.L. Ahuja, saw 100 University girls take part in the cycling ride starting at Bodoland University campus.
At SAI NCOE Sonepat, a star-studded women’s wrestling and hockey athletes’ lineup featured the Phogat Sisters – Arjuna Awardee Geeta Phogat, wrestler Sangeeta Phogat, mixed martial artist Ritu Phogat, and Arjuna Awardee Sarita Mor. Hockey stars included Olympian Neha Goyal and international players Sonika Tandi and Jyoti Rambawat, as well as Arjuna and Dronacharya Awardee Pritam Siwach.
