Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: The streets of the temple city turned into a vibrant celebration of health and fitness on Sunday morning as hundreds of cycling enthusiasts took part in the ‘Sundays on Cycle’ event. The rally began at the MP Theatre Ground near Banaras Hindu University, with participants pedalling through the city to spread the message of a healthy lifestyle.

Speaking at the event, Mayank Srivastava, Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of India, said, “The goal of Fit India is to connect all sections of society, all villages, cities and every corner of the country to fitness programmes and motivate people to pick up a fitness activity.”

This special edition of the cycle rally saw over 600 participants and was organised to celebrate India winning the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Adding a unique dimension to the event, private security guards also joined as honoured participants.

Satya Narayan Singh, one of the participating guards, remarked, “Actually, Fit India is a great initiative; it should be done for everyone. This should be done, just like physical training is done, similarly, this should also be done. This will be beneficial for health.”

The rally also witnessed the presence of international athletes who lauded the initiative as a major step toward building a sporting culture in India.

Amit Panghal, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said, “This is a great initiative — Fit India cycle on Sunday. This is a great source for inspiring the youth. This is a good stage from where the youth will think that the nation will become fit by seeing themselves and others on cycles on Sundays. Any sportsperson that comes in the future can bring glory to the country.”

Pooja Sihag, Commonwealth Games silver medallist, emphasised, “Being fit is not just an athlete's job, it is important for everyone. SAI is also supporting it a lot, which makes me happy. SAI is organising these Fit India Sangals on Cycle programmes and seeing that makes me happy.”

The Fit India Sundays on Cycle campaign, which was introduced in December 2024, has grown into a national movement encouraging people to lead healthier lives.