New Delhi, Feb 16 Union Youth Affairs and Sports as well as Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday led the Fit India Movement's flagship programme, 'Sundays on Cycle', at Mumbai's iconic Gateway of India.
The programme is an effort to create awareness among the masses to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle through cycling.
The ride, flagged off from the Gateway of India with more than 500 cyclists, culminated at the Girgaon Chowpatty through the picturesque Marine Drive, said a statement.
The event was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent clarion call to fight the problem of obesity, especially among the urban youth. Therefore, besides riding for good health, the overarching message of this week's Sundays on Cycle was "Fight Obesity", it said.
Mandaviya said, "The PM's vision of a Viksit Bharat can only be achieved if the citizens of the country are fit because fit people can contribute far more towards nation-building."
He said this initiative of 'Sundays on Cycle' is an effort to propagate the importance of leading a fit life while also contributing towards the environment by using a mode of transport that has zero carbon footprints.
"I urge everyone, especially younger people, to use cycles to commute whenever possible. This will not only make them healthy; it will improve the overall health of our environment," he added.
Lauding the initiative, Shaina NC said, "I would like to congratulate Minister Mandaviya and the Sports Ministry for this very timely and important initiative. Today's 'Sundays on Cycle' was a 5-km ride but I wish it was longer. The enthusiasm among the cyclists was fantastic and the underlying message of fighting obesity is very important in today's world where most youngsters are leading a sedentary lifestyle."
The cycling event was also held simultaneously at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi with more than 170 riders, including Shivani Pawar, bronze medallist at the 2024 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship, and 2025 National Games gold medallist, joining in.
Expressing her happiness seeing a diverse group of riders, Shivani said, "It's very welcoming to see elders and younger people participating at the same time. Fitness and sports activities are very important for us and parents."
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