New Delhi [India] April 6 (ANI): India Cycling's foreign coach, Kevin Sireau, has highlighted the importance of regular sports participation for maintaining health and fitness. He praised the Fit India initiative and emphasized the significance of the upcoming 2026 Asian Games.

He also acknowledged the recent achievements of Indian cyclists at the February 2025 National Cup, where new national records were set in the team sprint and individual flying events.

'Please follow this initiative because it's very important to do some sport regularly to keep fit properly and in good health. So, it's a good initiative from the government to make that. The target of Asian Games is coming next year. So 2026 is a very important year for us. And we are in the process. What I can tell you is the riders made on the last National Cup, the last month, February 2025, the new national record two times for the team sprint and for the individual flying.' Kevin Sireau told ANI.

Sireau expressed confidence in the growth of Indian cyclists, noting significant improvement over the past year. He stressed the importance of identifying and nurturing young talent for long-term success in major international events such as the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics.

'So, the progress is here. If we compare to one year ago, they improved more than one second. One second for everybody is less, but for us it's very important. For sure, for sure. The talent is here, I'm definitely sure. And we work on it with FI and SAIL to detect new talent because the future is from the juniors, the sub-juniors. So, next year, we have the Asian Games. And after we continue with Commonwealth Games in the same years. And in two years more, we plan to select some riders for the Olympic Games in LA. So, the juniors is the future for this target. So, yeah, the talent is here, definitely,' he added.

Indian Cyclist Ronaldo Singh praised the initiative by Fit India, 'Sunday Cycle' recognized its positive impact on youth fitness and motivation. He highlighted the success of past training camps, including a trip to Turkey, and introduced the 'Cy2Tag' scheme aimed at Asian Championship success. He emphasized the upcoming European training camp as a crucial step in preparation for the Asian Games.

'The Sunday Cycle from Freak India is a very good thing. Because for the youth, cycling in Delhi is difficult in the time because of the traffic. But early morning, I saw all the youth coming here. They have been here since 4.30 am. So, I'm very happy to see the young guys coming here and riding the bikes on Sunday, every Sunday. So, it's good for their fitness and it's also a motivation for the athletes. With the camp we had in the past, we got a very good result. We went to Turkey that time. In the upcoming time, we have come up with a scheme called Cy2Tag, which is an Asian Championship Goal. So, I have come up with a very good scheme in that. And we are supporting it in many ways. Because next month, we are going to Europe for the camp. So, I think this is a very good thing. We will get exposure. We will get competition. So, it's a very good preparation for Asian Games.' Ronaldo Singh told ANI.

Fit India Sundays on Cycle witnessed the presence of Asian Track Cycling Championship medallists Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh, David Beckham, Rojit Singh, and Esow Alben, along with foreign coach Kevin Sireau. More than 500 individuals participated in the event, which not only cycled around India Gate 'C' Hexagon, Kartavya Path, Vijay Chowk, and back but also indulged in Zumba, rope skipping, and fun push-up contests.

The initiative has become part of a nationwide movement with events being simultaneously organized in various nooks and corners of the country in partnership with state police forces at SAI Regional Centre Guwahati, NSNIS Patiala, SAI NSWC Gandhinagar, STC Varanasi, STC Jabalpur, STC Raipur, STC Tinsukia, STC Kokrajhar, STC Rajnandgaon, STC Bareilly, STC Kurnool, SAI NRC Sonepat, SAI Kurukshetra, SAI NERC Imphal, STC Golaghat, STC Calicut, among others.

The 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), My Bikes and MY Bharat. Events are simultaneously held nationwide at SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) and the Khelo India Centres (KICs). (ANI)