Excelsior Sports Correspondent
BARAMULLA, Sept 13: Men’s cycling rally was flagged off from Showkat Ali Stadium, organised by Dagger Division of Army in collaboration with Jammu & Kashmir Cycle Association (JKCA), here today.
The 2nd edition of this annual event was held to give an opportunity to all the participants to experience the blend of adventure and sportsmanship. The event witnessed participation from each section of the society and participants from various parts of the country.
A total of 357 adventure enthusiast cyclists took part in the event out of which 33 riders were from outside J&K including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, making a glorious mark in the history of cycling races.
The participants cycled all the way from Baramulla to Kaman Post, Uri covering a distance of 75 kms in the arduous terrain of Jammu & Kashmir commemorating the 75 years of Indian Independence.
The race had three categories to include MTB, Road and Over 40 category. All the categories witnessed tough competition in which riders competed against each other to prove their mettle.
The flag off ceremony was held at Showkat Ali Stadium where Major General Ajay Chandpuria, VSM flagged off the riders in presence of other prominent personalities including Bhaskar Billa, IPS DIG (NKR) and Mohammad Rayees Bhat, SSP Baramulla who both participated in the event.
The closing ceremony held at Kaman Post evoked exuberant response from the participants, parents, guardians and locals alike. The event culminated with a prize distribution ceremony by Maj Gen Ajay Chandpuria, VSM, GOC, 19 Inf Div who appreciated their sportsman spirit and fervour of participation and motivated them for their bright and colourful future.
The cyclists vowed to return again next year in bigger numbers to further deepen the bond forged with the Indian Army.
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