'Sundays on Cycle': Health conscious move by Sports ministry to fight back obesity

India's aggressive push to become a global sporting heavyweight could literally be weighed down by a population that is staring at an obesity crisis in the next two decades. And well aware of the looming threat, the sports ministry's 'Fit India' campaign has been trying to create the mass movement that India desperately needs to avoid a health crisis which will also have massive economic repercussions due to loss of productivity if research is to be believed.

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To ensure that the significance of a healthy lifestyle is driven home in a manner that's less preachy and more fun, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been actively leading the initiative of 'Sundays on Cycle' that was launched in December last year. Various groups representing the civil society, sportspersons, and prominent public figures come together across venues in India to cycle early morning on Sundays, campaigning for a healthier lifestyle and push for decreased carbon footprint.

"More than two lakh people across 5,000 locations have participated in this campaign so far. Our partners have included ITBP, Indian Army, sports clubs, specific cycling clubs and FICCI among others," Sports Authority of India's Deputy Director General Mayank Srivastava declares with pride in an interaction with PTI. Olympic medal-winning athletes such as weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, and actor and Rugby Federation of India head Rahul Bose are among the prominent names that have shown up at 7am on different Sunday mornings to cycle with the minister and hundreds of other enthusiasts.