Patiala News:First day of Asmita Women’s Cycling Zonal Track League competition successfully completed in Patiala
*In the elite women’s category, Harshita Jakhar won gold, Meenakshi won silver and Swati Singh won bronze.
*Chief guest Vice Chancellor Pushpinder Singh Gill and special guests Olympian hockey player Gurjit Kaur and industrialist Harjay Gambhir encouraged the players.
*The winners were felicitated with medals, certificates and cash prizes by Neeraj Tanwar, Joint Secretary, Cycling Federation of India.
The first day of the Asmita Women’s Cycling Zonal Track League, being organized by the Cycling Association of Punjab in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India at NSNIS Velodrome, Patiala, concluded successfully today. On the first day of the two-day league, women cyclists participated in the competitions with sportsmanship, showcasing their speed, technical skills and determination.
On this occasion, Dr. Pushpinder Singh Gill, Vice Chancellor, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Sports University, Patiala was the chief guest, while Olympian hockey player Gurjit Kaur and Harjay Gambhir from Balkings Industries were the special guests. The guests encouraged the players and appreciated the efforts of the organizers to promote women’s cycling.
As per the results announced in the Elite Women’s category on the first day, Harshita Jakhar won the gold medal, Meenakshi won the silver medal and Swati Singh won the bronze medal. Shri Neeraj Tanwar, Joint Secretary, Cycling Federation of India, felicitated the winning athletes by presenting medals, certificates and cash prizes and wished them all the best for their future competitions.
Chief Guest Vice Chancellor Dr. Pushpinder Singh Gill in his address said that it is very important for women to get adequate opportunities and encouragement to move forward in sports. He said, “There is no dearth of talent and hard work among our girls. The need is to provide them with a platform and continuous support to showcase their abilities. Leagues like Asmita not only give the players the experience of competitions but also give them the confidence to move forward towards bigger goals.”
Pushpinder Singh Gill further said that sports develop discipline, time appreciation and hard work habits among the youth. He appealed to the parents to encourage their daughters’ interest in sports and support them in their sporting journey. While congratulating the winners, he also appreciated the hard work and dedication of all the participating players.
Special guest Olympian Gurjit Kaur motivated the players to practice continuously and remain dedicated towards their goals. She said, “The basis of great achievements is daily hard work, discipline and self-belief. Every competition teaches a player something new. Take inspiration from the victory and work harder where there is a need for improvement. Keep your dreams big and keep striving to achieve them.”
Industrialist Harjay Gambhir said, “It is our shared responsibility to provide opportunities and support to women athletes to move forward. Initiatives like the Asmita Women’s Cycling League not only give a platform to emerging talent but also inspire more girls to join sports. The industry sector should also come forward to develop sports and encourage women athletes, so that they can bring glory to the country at the national and international levels with their hard work and talent.”
Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, General Secretary of the Association, said that competitions are being held in the league in the categories of sub-junior/youth girls, junior girls and elite women. He said that on the first day, the players participated with enthusiasm and sportsmanship. On the second day of the league, on October 15, competitions in keirin and scratch race will be held, after which the winners will be honored.
Jagdeep Singh Kahlon thanked the chief guest, special guests, representatives of the Cycling Federation of India, coaches and associates. He appealed to the sports lovers to encourage the players during the second day of competitions as well.
On this occasion, Treasurer of Cycling Association Punjab BS Sudan, International Cyclist Bakshish Singh, Joint Secretary of International Cyclist and Cycle Association of Punjab Sukhjinder Singh, Vice President SP Singh, Chairman of Organizing Committee of District Cycling Association Sangrur Jagdish Singh, Secretary Jasvir Singh, Senior Office Bearer Kuldeep Singh, Chairperson of Organizing Committee of District Cycling Association Mohali Damanpreet Kaur, International Cyclist Gurpreet Kaur, Deputy District Education Officer Dr. Ravinder, Sports Coordinator Gurjit Singh, Chief Coach of NS NIS Mr. Joginder, Coach Sandeep Kaur, Sports Promoter Jagjit Singh along with various administrators and office bearers and a large number of players were present.