Hyderabad, June 7 (IANS) Thousands of citizens, athletes, students and fitness enthusiasts participated in a special edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle across Telangana on Sunday as the state celebrated World Bicycle Day with large-scale cycling and fitness activities.

The flagship event was held at the Gachibowli Practice Stadium, where Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla flagged off a cycle rally in the presence of senior ministers, government officials and sports administrators.

Organised by the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATG) under the Department of Sports, the event witnessed participation from hundreds of locations across the state, promoting fitness, healthy living and environmental awareness.

Among those present were Minister for ITE&C, Industries and Commerce and Legislative Affairs Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Minister for Youth Services and Sports Vakiti Srihari, Sports Advisor and Special Representative to the Government in New Delhi A.P. Jithender Reddy, Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Sports Authority of Telangana Chairman Shivasena Reddy and SATG Vice Chairman and Managing Director Dr A. Sonibala Devi.

Addressing participants, Governor Shukla highlighted cycling’s role in improving public health and protecting the environment, urging citizens to adopt cycling as a regular habit in line with the objectives of the Fit India Movement.

Participants began arriving at the venue early in the morning and took part in a Zumba warm-up session before joining the cycle rally. Medals were distributed to participants after the ride, followed by a community breakfast.

The Fit India Movement, launched on August 29, 2019, aims to make fitness an integral part of daily life. The Sundays on Cycle initiative has since grown into a nationwide campaign, engaging more than 30 lakh cycling enthusiasts and reaching over seven crore citizens through on-ground events and awareness programmes.

The Telangana celebrations drew participation from personnel of the CRPF, Indian Air Force, CISF, ITBP, CGDA, ESIC, police departments, sports academies, Khelo India Centres, educational institutions, cycling clubs and software companies.

Besides cycling, the programme also featured activities such as yoga, Zumba and rope skipping, reflecting the campaign’s focus on making fitness accessible to people of all age groups.

Organisers said the event embodied the spirit of Jan Bhagidari and reinforced the collective commitment towards building a cleaner, greener and healthier India.

–IANS

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