Sangrur, September 12:- The first day of the ‘Asmita Khelo India Women’s State League (Road)-2026’, being organised in Sangrur by Cycling Association of Punjab with the objective of promoting women’s cycling, witnessed tremendous enthusiasm among women cyclists who arrived from different parts of Punjab. During the individual time trial events, the athletes displayed an impressive combination of physical fitness, technical skills, determination and sporting spirit.
In the 16-kilometre individual time trial in the Women Elite category held on the first day, Bhumika of NIS Patiala won the gold medal with a timing of 25 minutes 32.751 seconds, while Khoirom Rejia Devi of NIS Patiala secured the silver medal with a timing of 25 minutes 39.146 seconds. Sangrur’s Swarin Kaur won the bronze medal with a timing of 36 minutes 53.236 seconds, bringing honour to the district.
Similarly, in the 8-kilometre individual time trial in the Women Junior category, Ekdeepjot Kaur of Gurdaspur won the gold medal with an impressive timing of 14 minutes 18.278 seconds. Tanveer Kaur of Ludhiana secured the silver medal with a timing of 14 minutes 44.720 seconds, while Preeti of Ludhiana won the bronze medal with a timing of 15 minutes 09.319 seconds.
On the occasion, Chairman of Market Committee Sangrur, Avtar Singh Eelwal, congratulated the winning athletes and said that the daughters of Punjab are proving their talent in every field and have also achieved major accomplishments at the national and international levels in sports. He said that competitions such as the ‘Asmita Khelo India Women’s State League’ provide a strong platform, particularly for young women athletes, to prove their capabilities.
S. Eelwal said that sports are not limited merely to winning medals, but also play an important role in the overall development of young people. A young person associated with sports learns qualities such as discipline, hard work, goal setting, team spirit and perseverance in difficult situations. He extended his best wishes to all the athletes and said that participating in competitions with sporting spirit, rising above victory and defeat, is itself a major achievement.
General Secretary of Cycling Association of Punjab, Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, said that the main objective of the association is to strengthen cycling at the grassroots level in Punjab and identify hidden talent in remote areas of the state, providing them with suitable opportunities to move ahead.
He said that Punjab has immense talent, particularly in the field of women’s cycling. What is needed is to provide promising athletes with regular competitions, technical training and a high-level sporting environment from a young age. He said that the Asmita Khelo India Women’s League is a highly significant initiative in this direction, as it enables athletes not only to test their talent but also to gain valuable competitive experience.
S. Kahlon said that Cycling Association of Punjab is making efforts to organise as many cycling competitions as possible in the state and identify talented athletes at the school and village levels. He said that Punjab’s cyclists have the potential to achieve major accomplishments at the national and international levels, and for this it is extremely important to connect them with scientific training and regular competitions.
Chairman of the Organising Committee and teacher Jagdish Singh and Secretary Jasvir Singh said that continuous hard work, discipline and proper guidance play an important role behind the success of any athlete. They said that teachers and parents should encourage children to participate in sports along with their studies.
They said that the support of families, schools and society is extremely important to bring girls forward in sports. The enthusiasm shown by the athletes in the league is an indication of the bright future of women’s cycling in Punjab.
During the event, the women cyclists participating in the competitions shared their experiences and said that such state-level competitions are extremely important for them. Through these competitions, they get an opportunity to assess their preparation and capabilities, as well as compete with other outstanding athletes. This boosts their confidence and motivates them to identify their shortcomings and work harder for the upcoming competitions.
The athletes appreciated the arrangements made by Cycling Association of Punjab and the organising committee and said that such competitions should be organised regularly for women athletes so that they get maximum opportunities to showcase their talent. They said that their goal is to win medals at the national and international levels while representing Punjab and the country.
The organisers said that on September 12, individual time trial events were held for Women Elite over 16 kilometres and Women Junior over 8 kilometres. They said that road race (mass start) events will be held on September 13.
The organisers said that the objective of the league is not merely to select winning athletes, but also to connect as many daughters of Punjab as possible with cycling, build confidence in them towards sports and create a strong foundation for preparing national- and international-level athletes for the future.
On the occasion, cycling coach Manoj Dua, Kuldeep Singh Bijalpur, Narinder Pal Singh Gill, Kamalpreet Singh Kapial, Rajesh Kumar Baran, Lovepdeep Cheema and Gurvinder Singh Gaggu, along with a large number of players and spectators, were present.