Hyderabad: Cyclothon event in city a big draw

Hyderabad: Hundreds of people took part enthusiastically in the cyclothon organised by Hyderabad Cyclists Group (HCG) in association with National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) at Rashtrapati Nilayam on Sunday.

The event aimed to bring together cycling enthusiasts and environmental advocates to pedal in support of a greener planet. Around 1,000 cycling enthusiasts, environmentalists, students of Army Public School, Bolarum and local residents enthusiastically participated in the event.The youngest participant was six years old and the eldest was 80.

National Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand graced the programme.The cyclothon commenced from President's residence at Bollarum to ECIL X Roads, spanning a total of 11 km.During the event,a pledge was taken by participants for environment protection by displaying placards.

Following the cyclothon, the attendees had the unique opportunity to tour the historic Rashtrapati Nilayam, enriching their participation with a blend of fitness and heritage appreciation. The event was part of a broader vision set forth by the President DroupadiMurmu to enhance citizen engagement and foster meaningful contributions to the nation's heritage and environmental preservation efforts.

Pullela Gopichand stated, “Thanks to all those who took the initiative to create awareness among the people for environmental protection.” He also congratulated the officials of Rashtrapati Nilayam and Rashtrapati Bhavan for promoting healthy habits like cycling.

Ravinder Nandanoori, founder of HCG, said, “Our vision is to create one lakh cyclist community in the city and make Hyderabad the cyclists capital.We wanted to show the strength of cycling by riding together. This cyclothonwas a great example, as people cutting across age groups took part eagerly.”