Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday flagged off a grand cyclothon in Srinagar to mark World Bicycle Day, underscoring the Union Territory’s focus on fitness, youth engagement and tourism promotion.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from cyclists and sports enthusiasts, with the administration highlighting cycling as a means to encourage healthy lifestyles and sustainable mobility.
Speaking on the occasion, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani said the government was actively promoting sports activities across Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is a very good initiative. We are trying to organise sports activities in Kashmir. Earlier, we hosted a golf event and a marathon, and now we are organising the cyclothon. There will be separate cyclothons in Jammu and Kashmir. Through such events, we aim to encourage youth participation in sports. For us, this is also a way to promote tourism,” Wani told reporters.
Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul said the initiative was intended to promote fitness and reinforce the message of the Fit India movement.
“This cyclothon has been organised to commemorate World Bicycle Day and to stand against lethargy. It sends a strong message from J&K that we support fitness and the Fit India campaign. Today, we also launched the logo and mascot for the Jammu Cyclothon, and registrations have begun. The Kashmir Cyclothon has also been initiated, and registrations for it will start soon,” Gul told ANI.
Jammu and Kashmir Sports Minister Satish Sharma, who also participated in the event, extended greetings on World Bicycle Day and emphasised the importance of promoting sports culture in the Union Territory.
“Congratulations to everyone on World Bicycle Day. I also participated in cycling today. We must follow the message of ‘Say No to Drugs and Yes to Sports’. More major sporting events will be organised in the coming months. Every month, we plan to host a high-level event to help address gaps in sports infrastructure. As a new government, we face several challenges and resource constraints. We hope the Centre fulfils its commitments and helps restore opportunities for the people of J&K,” Sharma said.
World Bicycle Day was celebrated across India on June 3 with a series of cyclothons, awareness campaigns and cycling events aimed at promoting fitness, sustainable transport and environmental awareness. Similar programmes were organised in several states, including Delhi, Assam, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, with participants from different age groups highlighting cycling as a healthy and eco-friendly mode of transport.
(With ANI Inputs)
