Young Leaders Pedal for Fitness: Fit India Cycling Event Returns to Delhi

The event will be graced by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, who has also been the visionary force behind this nationwide fitness movement.

This special edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle will see the participation of young leaders from across the country, who are currently in Delhi to attend the prestigious Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VKYLD).

These young leaders will join the cycling event as special guests, symbolising the strong link between youth leadership, nation-building, and a healthy, active lifestyle.

Olympian and Commonwealth Games silver medal-winning judoka Tulika Maan and accomplished Indian wrestler Shivani Pawar will also be participating in the cycling drive to spread the message about adopting an active lifestyle. Tulika is one of India's leading judokas in the heavyweight category. She won the Silver Medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

On the other hand, Shivani has made her mark on the international stage with consistent podium finishes. She created history in 2021 by winning the silver medal in the 50kg category at the U-23 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, becoming the first Indian wrestler to secure a medal at the tournament. In the same year, she further strengthened her global reputation by clinching gold at the World Police and Fire Games in Canada.

The cycling event will flag off from the iconic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on January 11, covering a 5-kilometre route through the heart of the capital. The early-morning ride aims to inspire citizens-especially the youth-to adopt fitness as a way of life and reinforce the message that a fit India is a developed India.

The Young Leaders attending the event have been selected through a rigorous multi-layer screening process, consisting of competitions in quizzing, essay writing, presentations and speeches, to draw up the final list of 3000 Young Leaders representing some of the sharpest and most promising young minds in the country who embody India's aspirations for innovation, leadership, and progress.

These leaders will also be part of the three-day Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, a landmark national platform that will be attended by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, along with distinguished personalities such as astronaut Sudhanshu Shukla, tennis legend Leander Paes, and Indian women's hockey captain Harmanpreet Kaur, among others.

On Sunday morning, about 300 of them will participate in the Sundays on Cycle event to pedal towards fitness and a greener earth. Besides the cycling rally, the event will also see energetic and fun fitness activities such as zumba, rope skipping, yogasana among several others.

The return of Sundays on Cycle to Delhi, coupled with the participation of India's brightest young leaders, marks a significant moment for the Fit India movement-reinforcing the message that youth leadership and physical fitness are central to building a Viksit Bharat.

Previously, the cycling event witnessed participation of Indian Army jawans, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Goods & Services Tax Council, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Physical Education Foundation of India (PEFI), and prominent sports stars like the Great Khali, Lovlina Borgohain, Priyanka Goswami, Rani Rampal, Rodali Barua, Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Rahul Banerjee, Mangal Singh Champia, Sangram Singh, Shanky Singh, Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Paris Paralympics medallists Nitesh Kumar, Manisha Ramadass, Rubina Francis and Simran Sharma (para world champion).

Top celebrities Ayushmann Khurana, Rohit Shetty, Saiyami Kher, Sharvari, Amit Sial, Rahul Bose, Madhurima Tuli, Mia Maelzer and Gul Panag have also pledged their support for this initiative. They have been conferred with the tag of 'Fit India Icon.'

- IANS