New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) The 74th edition of the Fit India Sundays on Cycle saw enthusiastic participation of 50,000 individuals at 5000 locations across the country.

The cycling drive was organized in association with Goods & Services Tax (GST) and Customs Departments of the Government of India. A plethora of recreational activities were also parallelly organized along with the cycling initiative like Yoga, rope skipping and Zumba.

In New Delhi, the event was conducted at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that witnessed a turnout of over 800 individuals including officers from the GST and Customs departments along with the general public from all age groups. A fun sports zone was also created prompting the public to try out options like badminton, chess, carrom and ludo etc. Lemon race, ball game, tug of war, squat challenge and push-up challenge were also conducted.

Started by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in December 2024, the cycling movement has witnessed participation from 32,38,234 fitness enthusiasts till now across 3,07,852 locations in 74 editions.

Talking about the initiative, Manish Kumar, Chief Commissioner (Customs Department) said, “Following the clarion call by our Hon’ble Prime Minister to adopt a healthy lifestyle, the officers and employees of the GST and Customs Departments have become part of the Fit India movement. We all know health is our biggest property. If you are healthy, you will be able to complete your task properly.”

Echoing the sentiment, Narendra Kumar Yadav, Additional Director (GST) and Fit India Ambassador said cycling is also plays an important role in controlling air pollution. “This is our regular event of Fit India Sundays on Cycle. As I am the brand ambassador for Fit India, we organise the cycling event every Sunday across the country. As PM Modi has appealed to people, cycling is important for not only our health and environment, but also for the economy of our country, as it is helping us save fuel,” Yadav said later.

Fit India Sundays on Cycle is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), Indian Rope Skipping Federation, Yogasana Bharat, Raahgiri Foundation, MY Bikes and MY Bharat.

The cycling drive is conducted simultaneously across all States and Union Territories, including SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs) and Khelo India Centres (KICs).

--IANS

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