Sunday on Cycle: Sonepat dist pedals for health, environment

Ahead of the upcoming World Cycle Day, observed on June 3, a Sunday on Cycle programme was organised by the Northern Regional Centre (NRC) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the 12 Haryana Battalion of the NCC on Sunday under the Fit India Mission, which aims to promote health, fitness and environmental protection.

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Eminent players — archer Deepika Kumari and coach Purnima Mahato, Padma Shri awardees; two-time Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil; World Champion Ojas Devtale, an Arjuna Award winner; Asian games gold medallist Aditi Swami; and Paralympains Sunder Gurjar and Pushpendra participated in the programme.

The cycle journey began and ended on the SAI campus, travelling through Bahalgarh, Murthan and the Sector 7 road. It began at 7.30 am and ended at 8.30 am.

The initiative was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call against obesity in a ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme.

NCC cadets of various educational institutions — Industrial Training Institute, Government Polytechnic Institute and Hindu Boys College — and NCC 12 Haryana Batallion Command Officer Col Anoop Rawat, Administrative Officer Lt Col Mohit Chauhan, NCC officer Major Sanjay Sheoran and staff members were among the participants of the event.

Gaurav Rawat, Deputy Director, SAI NRC, said the campaign was organised by SAI every Sunday.

Today’s event was particularly important as it was the 25th week of this series, and has been dedicated to the armed forces, he added.

Participant who didn’t have bicycles were provided bicycles by SAI on the spot, he said. The coordinator of the programme was Mita Bhardwaj, Assistant Director, SAI.

She said the event was an inspirational step towards spreading the objectives of the Fit India Mission, and, in future, such initiatives would prove helpful in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle in society.