Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya will lead the 94th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle in Varanasi on Sunday, October 11, with a focus on promoting fitness, youth empowerment and a drug-free India.
The cycling drive will begin at 6 AM along the route from Namo Ghat to Diksha Mandap at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. The event will be organised under the theme “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat”, encouraging young people to adopt healthy lifestyles and stay away from substance abuse.
Several Indian athletes who won medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will participate in the event, adding a sporting dimension to the fitness initiative.
Sprinter Prachi Chaudhary, who won bronze in the women’s 400 metres, and long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary, who secured bronze medals in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase and 5,000-metre events, will join the cycling drive.
Jay Kumar, who won silver in the mixed 4×400-metre relay and bronze in the men’s 4×400-metre relay, will also participate. Hockey player Raj Kumar Pal, a member of India’s gold medal-winning hockey team, will be present at the event.
Their participation is expected to inspire young people to embrace discipline, perseverance, regular exercise and sporting excellence.
The programme will also feature yoga sessions, Zumba, games and interactive fitness activities at Namo Ghat, providing citizens with an opportunity to participate in a range of physical activities.
Promoting Fitness and a Drug-Free India
The initiative aims to encourage people to make cycling, walking and other forms of physical activity part of their daily routines. It also highlights the role of families, educational institutions, communities and sporting icons in guiding young people towards positive choices and preventing substance abuse.
Fit India Sundays on Cycle is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India, Raahgiri Foundation and MY Bharat.
The initiative is conducted simultaneously across states and Union Territories at Sports Authority of India regional centres, National Centres of Excellence, SAI Training Centres, Khelo India State Centres of Excellence and Khelo India Centres.
More than 6,000 NAMO Fit India Clubs also organise the cycling drive every week across the country.
With Varanasi hosting the 94th edition, the campaign seeks to strengthen public participation in fitness activities and advance the message of a healthier, fitter and drug-free India.
