Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], January 2 : The Fit India Mission will be organising the 55th edition of Sundays on Cycle in Vadodara on January 4, against the iconic backdrop of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace.
This edition will be organised in association with special partners 'Swachhta Senanis' and the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Government of Gujarat, as per a release.
Former India cricketer Rajesh Chauhan and heptathlete Nandini Agasara will lead a large group of cycling enthusiasts, alongside Member of Parliament Hemang Joshi and Samarjitsinhji Gaekwad of the Vadodara royal family.
Other dignitaries set to grace the event are Municipal Commissioner of Vadodara Arun Mahesh Babu and Superintendent of Police Narsimha Komar.
Former India off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan, who represented the country in 21 Tests and 35 ODIs from 1993 to 1998 and claimed 76 international wickets, will be seen riding a bicycle for the first time alongside a large crowd of fitness enthusiasts. Chauhan was a member of India's renowned spin trio of the 1990s alongside Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju.
Nandini Agasara is a bronze medallist in the heptathlon at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and a gold medallist at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.
To encourage more and more citizens to adopt an active lifestyle, as per Fit India's motto of 'Fitness ki dose, aadha ghanta roz', there will be dedicated yoga, rope skipping, and fitness/game zones for people of all age groups, including children.
Launched by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, in December 2024, Fit India Sundays on Cycle has become a jan andolan, promoting fitness, a clean environment, and sustainability, with more than 22 lakh participants across 2 lakh locations.
Previously, the cycling event witnessed participation of Indian Army jawans, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Goods & Services Tax Council, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Physical Education Foundation of India (PEFI), and prominent sports stars like the Great Khali, Lovlina Borgohain, Priyanka Goswami, Rani Rampal, Rodali Barua, Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Rahul Banerjee, Mangal Singh Champia, Sangram Singh, Shanky Singh, Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Paris Paralympics medallists Nitesh Kumar, Manisha Ramadass, Rubina Francis and Simran Sharma (para world champion).
Top celebrities Ayushmann Khurana, Rohit Shetty, Saiyami Kher, Sharvari, Amit Sial, Rahul Bose, Madhurima Tuli, Mia Maelzer and Gul Panag have also pledged their support for this initiative. They have been conferred with the tag of 'Fit India Icon.'