Hyderabad: Railway employees in Secunderabad took to the streets on bicycles on Sunday morning as part of the ‘Sundays on Cycle’ initiative, organised under the national Fit India Movement.
The cyclothon, which was flagged off at the Railways Sports Complex, was organised by the South Central Railway (SCR) Sports Association under the Union ministry of youth affairs and Sports’ Khelo India programme.
The Fit India Movement, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encourages citizens to adopt fitness as an integral part of daily life. The cycling initiative is one of its prominent themes.
SCR general manager Arun Kumar Jain, who took part in the ride, lauded the SCR Sports Association for organising the event and highlighted the importance of physical fitness.
He said that the Fit India campaign has helped many individuals achieve better health, and that cycling remains one of the most effective ways to stay active. “People across the globe are increasingly turning to bicycles for both health and environmental reasons… railway employees should enthusiastically participate in the movement,” Jain said.
Additional General Manager Neeraj Agrawal, Secunderabad Divisional Railway Manager Bhartesh Kumar Jain, senior railway officials, members of the SCR Sports Association, and several sportspersons from the zone were also present at the meeting.
People run for unity marathon
Thousands of people took part in the Telangana Run, that started at PVNR Marg (Necklace Road) on Sunday. The event organised by the Society of Telangana Runners featured 3K, 5K, 10K runs and the Half Marathon.
Two more runs were announced during the event, the Anantagiri Trail Run and the Godavari River Run both planned for later this year, according to Dr Soma Jagan Mohan Reddy and his team. They provided water, parking, medical help, and food for all participants.
Former MP and Olympic Association of Telangana president A.P. Jitender Reddy praised the organisers for taking fitness awareness to remote parts of Telangana. Deputy Drugs Controller (India) and WHO panel member Dr Ram Kishan noted that the event brought together people from across India.
Avantika Constructions managing director Yannam Srinivas Reddy expressed pride in sponsoring the state-level run and promised support for future fitness events. MLR Group of Institutions chairman Marri Laxman Reddy, aged 81, encouraged young people to make running a part of their daily life, sharing his own fitness story.
