Tennis icon Leander Paes and former badminton star Pullela Gopichand joined Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday for the 56th edition of the Sports Ministry’s flagship fitness initiative, Sundays on Cycle, in the national capital.
The Fit India movement’s mass outreach programme returned to Delhi with over 1,000 participants braving the winter chill, including nearly 500 young leaders drawn from across the country. The event culminated in a cycle rally that began at 7 am despite temperatures hovering around six degrees Celsius.
The young participants were in the capital for the three-day Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, a national platform aimed at identifying and nurturing youth aspiring to play a role in public life, and attended the fitness drive as special invitees.
The Sundays on Cycle initiative was organised simultaneously at nearly 15,000 locations across the country. Bhopal hosted one of the largest gatherings, where Madhya Pradesh Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Vishvas Kailash Sarang flagged off a cycling rally alongside actor Payal Rohatgi and athletes, including Olympian judoka Garima Choudhary.
“A healthy body is the foundation of strong leadership. Cycling teaches us powerful leadership lessons, it tells us when to pedal fast, when to slow down, and most importantly, how to maintain balance to keep moving forward in life,” Mandaviya said.
Praising the initiative, Gopichand highlighted the minister’s personal involvement. “It is motivating to see a Minister not just putting so much thought to make fitness a part of everyday life, but also leading the entire movement from the front. The fact that he himself participates in this event on Sunday morning after a hard week's work speaks volumes about his commitment to creating a Fit India,” he said.
Also read: Mandaviya marks first year of ‘Fit India Sundays’ in Puducherry
“Today we have fun on our fingertips so we have forgotten to have fun in nature, to step out and be part of the outside world, so I appreciate those who have turned up here today,” he added.
Emphasising the role of collective effort in fitness, Paes said, “No one can do fitness alone, you need to motivate each other and be part of the community because fitness is not just about having a strong body but also a fit mind which can be achieved when we participate in community events as this one.”
“I congratulate the Sports Minister Sir for creating something so unique, and to think this is happening parallely across the country, it's phenomenal,” he added.
The morning also featured a Zumba session, yoga exercises, and performances of electric Mallakhamb and rope-skipping by athletes, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Fit India Ambassadors Timsy Bector and Divya Ahuja shared winter fitness tips, underlining the importance of regular exercise and simple warm-ups at home, particularly for the elderly.
In Bhopal, Sarang echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Fit India, Hit India’ call. “I congratulate the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India for giving out the nationwide message of fitness through this cycling movement,” he said. More than 1,500 people took part in the Bhopal event.
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