Babita Phogat cycles in Delhi's Fit India initiative, promotes healthy lifestyle
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former wrestler Babita Phogat participated in the 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' initiative in the national capital on Sunday, promoting the importance of health and fitness among citizens.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the event, Phogat said, 'It feels great. I urge everyone to stay healthy... If we stay healthy, not only our body but also our mind will remain healthy. A healthy mind resides only in a healthy body.'
She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the Fit India Movement, which, she said, had inspired people across the country to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
'Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the Fit India campaign, and today, many people have joined to keep themselves healthy. I thank all the people who are joining the Fit India campaign,' she added.
Meanwhile, over 15000 participations from more than 500 locations in the country is expected this Sunday, with the movement being consistently organised in deep pockets like Chitradurga (Karnataka), Solal gaon (Assam), Janjgir Champa (Chhattisgarh), Pandharpur (Maharashtra), and more, a release from the Union Sports Ministry noted.
Speaking ahead of the special edition, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya said, 'The Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative resonates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to action for a healthier, cleaner and more active India. Taking this people's movement forward, the upcoming edition will be particularly meaningful as our 'Swacchata Senanis' come together to uphold the essence of the nationwide cycling drive.'
The Sports Minister has also urged all municipal bodies and urban local bodies across states to replicate the event in their own regions, ensuring maximum participation and visibility.
Launched in December last year, with just 500 cycling enthusiasts, the Fit India Cycling Drive has since evolved into a national movement. As of now, the movement has been organised in more than 10,500 locations across the nation with the participation of more than 3.75 lakh individuals.
These cycling drives are conducted by several Khelo India Centres (KICs), Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India Accredited Academies (KIAAs), and National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) across the country. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Brutality, consistency unparalleled: On this day, 'Ro-Ko' bowed out of T20Is as India's biggest match-winners
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): On this day last year, not only did India end their 11-year-long ICC trophy drought by winning the ICC T20 World Cup with a seven-run win over South Africa at Barbados, but two of their greatest icons, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid goodbye to the shortest format of the game after dominating it for more than a decade and setting new benchmarks for the upcoming generation. A clutch knock from Virat during the final of 76 runs and the tactical brilliance of skipper Rohit Sharma to unleash a pace choke in the death overs paid off as two of the biggest legends to wear India's iconic Blue colours got a well-deserved farewell from T20Is filled with milestones, individual accolades and ICC T20 World Cup Trophy. Hitman, the double T20 World Cup Champion setting new benchmarks of brutality Since introducing himself to the world as an elegant, baby-faced hitter during the 2007 T20 World Cup, during which he played vital cameos and put up a total of 88 runs in three matches, including a vital 30* in 16 against Pakistan in final and a half-century, the 'Hitman' went through plenty of ups and downs. Struggling to find consistency, truly justifying his talent in the middle-order, a shift to opening under the captaincy of MS Dhoni was one of those 'Dhoni Magic' moments which changed the sport forever. Soon, Rohit found himself struggling to contain all the runs he had not fired over the years, unleashing a wide array of shots, particularly his much beloved pull shot. The superstar bowed out of the tournament as top T20I run-getter, with 4,231 runs in 159 matches and 151 innings at an average of 32.05, with a strike rate of 140.89. He has also scored five centuries, most by a batter in the format and 32 half-centuries, with the best individual score of 121*. During his 17-year-long T20I career, Rohit hit a total of 205 sixes, the most by a batter. He still remains the only batter to have hit 200 or more sixes in the shortest format. He also holds the record for the fastest T20I century for India, in just 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017, slamming 118 in 43 balls, with 12 fours and 10 sixes. Before this tournament, Rohit was not known for setting T20 World Cups on fire with his hitting, as his resume read: 88 runs in three innings with a fifty (2007), 131 runs in five innings at an average of 32.75 with a half-century (2009), 84 runs in three matches at an average of 84.00 with a fifty (2010), 82 runs in five matches at an average of 41.00 with a fifty (2012), 200 runs in six matches at an average of 40.00 with two fifties (2014), 88 runs in five matches at an average of 17.60 (2016) and 174 runs in five matches at an average of 34.80 with two half-centuries (2021). Despite some fantastic knocks scattered throughout these World Cups, a 'Player of the Tournament' calibre tournament looked like a dream as he often failed in knockout matches. Some half-centuries scored against now-depleted/minnows West Indies, Afghanistan and Scotland did not help his stature in this tournament either. However, during this tournament, Hitman, pained by losing a home 50-over World Cup at Ahmedabad last year to Australia, arrived with fire and vengeance in his mind. He delivered his best-ever T20 WC campaign, with 257 runs in eight matches at an average of 36.71, a strike rate of 156.71 and three half-centuries. His knock against Australia, a 41-ball 92 laced with seven fours and eight sixes became an instant classic. During this inning, he gave a fiery Mitchell Starc his most expensive T20 over, carting him for 29 runs, including a four and four extremely disdainful sixes. He topped it all off with a ruthless 100 m hit to the roof of the stadium to skipper Pat Cummins, who silenced the Ahmedabad crowd in November 2023 and left Rohit teary-eyed after missing out on his ultimate dream that god seemed to have served on a silver platter until Cummins snatched it from him. He came good against England in the semifinals too, scoring a classy 39-ball 57, with six fours and two sixes to power India to a match-winning 171/7. The campaign was one to remember for Rohit as not only did he become a double T20 World Cup champion, but saved his best for the very last. In his T20 WC career, Rohit ended as the third-highest run-getter, with 1,220 runs at an average of 34.85, with a strike rate of 133.04 and 12 fifties. His best score was 92. -'King Kohli', the ultimate match-winner delivering the goods even at his worst For years, Virat remained as the benchmark in the T20 World Cup, delivering two 'Player of the Tournament' performances in 2014 (319 runs in six matches at an average of 106.33 with four half-centuries) and 2016 (273 runs in five matches at an average of 136.50, with three fifties). The 2014 edition saw him smash the most runs by a batter in a single T20 WC edition, and the 2016 was a massive one-man carry job to the semifinals, with the second-highest run-getter for India being MS Dhoni with 89 runs in five innings. During these tournaments, Kohli batted his heart out, brought his A+ against arch-rivals Pakistan, battered Australians and developed a knockout record envious by every batter. During the 2016 edition semifinal against West Indies, he batted, scored 89* in 47 balls, bowled, took a wicket, did everything, but still saw his dream get snatched at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After a nightmarish T20 WC 2021, which saw India crash out in Group Stage under his captaincy with losses to painful losses to Pakistan and New Zealand, he delivered a late-career masterclass in Australia during the 2022 edition, topping the run-charts with 296 runs in six matches at a Bradman-esque average of 98.66 and four fifties. But still, it seemed his batting template of taking it deep and exploding in death overs seemed to have become old as England handed them a crushing 10-wicket loss at Adelaide in the semis, during which he hit a 40-ball 50, which was criticised heavily. After the 'Ro-Ko' were phased out of the side following the tournament to pave way for the young and explosive crop of IPL stars, India seemed to be doing really well and they earned a recall last year. While Rohit set the tone for his monstrous final T20I run with 121* in 69 balls against Afghanistan, Virat struggled to adapt to a much-more attacking approach. During the early stages of the IPL, Virat's tempo came under scanner despite his consistent scoring. In trademark Virat fashion, he responded back, not only on the microphone with skills of a WWE wrestler cutting promos, but with the bat as well. Virat walked out of IPL 2024 covered with fire literally, winning the Orange Cap for 741 runs with a century and five fifties with a career-best strike rate of over 154. He adapted to the modern T20 style, tonking 38 sixes, his most in an IPL and brought out a wider array of shots and aggression against spin, missing previously. Despite massive and at this point, normal expectations from Virat to deliver an all-timer, he failed throughout the tournament, literally gift-wrapping his wicket to the bowlers with his poor shot-making in the name of 'intent'. Virat was not Virat'ing at all, as the modern slang says. He had scored just 75 runs in seven innings with a best score of 37, giving away his wicket in the most un-Virat fashion. But as all the greats do, Virat saved his best for the finals, playing a measured 76 in 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes, guiding India to from 34/3 to a match-winning 176/7. Virat bowed out of the tournament with a match-winning fifty, POTM trophy and the World Cup title to his name, passing on the baton to the next generation. He ended among the top three run-getters, currently third, with 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69, with a strike rate of 37.04, a century and 38 fifties. In 35 T20 WC matches, he topped the charts with 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72 with a strike rate of over 128, and 15 fifties. With two 'Player of the Tournament' titles in the T20 WC, most runs in the tournament, a POTM in winning cause in the final and joint-most fifty-plus scores, he retired as the most decorated and consistent T20I batter. During successful run-chases in T20 WCs, Virat averaged 173.00 in 12 matches, scoring 519 runs with seven fifties in 11 innings. Across all of T20Is, he has an unbelievable chasing record, with 1,651 runs in 42 matches and 39 innings, with 16 fifties at an average of 78.61. While no doubt the exploits of newer stars like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan etc are exciting to watch, the country would not witness match-winners like this again. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"We lived the dream": Pant, Axar celebrate one-year anniversary of India's memorable T20 WC title win
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Axar Patel celebrated the one-year anniversary of India's famed T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados. On June 29, 2024, India lifted the coveted T20 World Cup title for the first time in 17 years. After putting up a competitive 176/7 on the board, India flirted with danger and floundered in its approach to follow the blueprint for successfully defending the total. However, the Rohit Sharma-led side stayed in the contest to deny the Proteas with a seven-run triumph. Pant took to Instagram and posted a picture of himself lifting the title and wrote, 'What a moment'. Axar shared a video of himself celebrating the trophy success with his teammates and captioned it, 'One year ago, we lived the dream.' In the pulsating final of the marquee event, India and South Africa landed in Barbados unbeaten, with hopes of ending the quest on a memorable note. The coin spun in India's favour during the time of the toss, and Rohit decided to put South Africa in a position to chase. After India was reduced to 34/3, batting maestro Virat Kohli and Axar raised a priceless 72-run partnership before the latter was dismissed on 47(31). Virat continued to extend his stay at the crease and switched through gears after celebrating his half-century. With his enchanting strokeplay, he blew away the South African bowling unit and returned with 76(59). Shivam Dube's swift 27 from 16 deliveries propelled India to 176/7. In reply, Quinton de Kock (39) and Heinrich Klaasen (52) decimated India's hopes of winning the title. With the equation down to 26 off 24 deliveries, a spirited pace bowling performance came to India's rescue. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh emerged as the prime architects of the Proteas' downfall. With 16 needed in the final over and David Miller on strike, Pandya began his over with a wide full toss that Miller dispatched down the ground through the aerial route. Suryakumar sprinted to his left from long-off and grabbed the ball. He lobbed it in the air as momentum took him past the boundary rope and then came back inside the field to complete a catch that determined the fate of the title. The troika chained South African batters and escaped with a narrow seven-run victory to end the ICC Trophy drought. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Raj Bhavan Annadhan scheme launched in Goa by Kerala Governor Arlekar
Panaji (Goa) [India], June 29 (ANI): The 'Raj Bhavan Annadhan' scheme was officially launched on Sunday at Old Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai presided over the launch ceremony. A Cheque amounting to Rs 1,20,000 was handed to the Office bearers of the Goa Street Providence organisation. Kerala Governor Arlekar said that the books penned by Pillai are the window for the readers. His literature provides a gateway to new ideas, perspectives, and knowledge. Reading develops empathy among the readers, Arlekar added. Praising the work of Pillai, the Kerala Governor stated that Goa is fortunate to have a Governor like Pillai, who has consistently worked in the best interest of the people of Goa. 'He is the finest Governor I have seen,' Arlekar added. ' Governor Pillai has cited a unique example for other Raj Bhavans in the country, through his unique work for extending a helping hand to the needy people in the State. The Governor, through his noble work, has shown the path to others; we all have to follow him,' Arlekar said.. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, 'Raj Bhavan Annadhan' scheme is a unique scheme, which can be seen only in the State of Goa. The Chief Minister stated that the Governor has gained insight into the life of the common man by personally visiting the remote parts of the State of Goa through his various yatras. Mentioning the rising cases of kidney disease in the State, Sawant appealed to kidney patients to maintain a careful diet. This will help individuals with kidney disease manage their condition and prevent further damage. Speaking about the initiatives of the Union Government, the Chief Minister mentioned the eSanjeevani and informed the public that the National Telemedicine Service of India is a step towards achieving digital health equity and Universal Health Coverage. The Chief Minister further stated that eSanjeevani provides quick and easy access to doctors and medical specialists. Governor Pillai spoke about the secret behind successfully implementing various schemes through the Raj Bhavan and complimented the Chief Minister for consistently supporting his initiatives. Speaking about the iconic slogan 'Jai Hind' popularised by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Governor said a Muslim soldier came up with this iconic slogan, and Netaji Bose gladly accepted it. The Annadhan scheme is an initiative of the Governor, whereby the Governor will donate the amount received as royalty from his books towards a noble cause. Financial assistance from the Discretionary Funds of the Governor, was distributed at the hands of Chief Minister to around 40 patients suffering from Cancer and dialysis. Sanjeev C Gauns Dessai, Secretary to the Governor, welcomed the guests. Mihir Vardhan, Special Officer, introduced the scheme. Bosco George proposed a vote of thanks. (ANI)
