Thousands participate in Bhubaneswar Cyclothon

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to create awareness about health, environment and conservation of oil and gas, the Petroleum Conservation and Research Association (PCRA) today organised the 'Saksham Cyclothon' in Bhubaneswar today.

More than 10,000 cyclists from all walks of life participated in the Saksham Cyclothon.

The Cyclothon featured three categories -- Saksham Elite Race (Men-33 km/women-22 km), and Saksham Green Ride (11 km) from Kalinga Stadium to Khandagiri via Jaydev Vihar Chhak and back to Kalinga Statdium in the same route.

While the Elite categories were for serious cyclists, the 11 km Green Rides allowed participants to experience the joy of cycling while promoting fuel conservation, with the underlying message of reducing excessive dependency on oil for a cleaner and greener environment.

After flagging off the cyclothon at the Kalinga Stadium, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Benefits of cycling are not only limited to protect the environment or fuel conservation but it also carries huge health and fitness dividends."

Sports personalities including first Odia Arjun awardee Minati Mohapatra, hockey player V.R. Raghunath, athlete Amiya Kumar Mallik, cricketers Paresh Patel, Munaf Patel, tennis player Poulomi Ghatak and others participated in the cyclothon.

Odia cinestars Mihir Dash, Anu Choudhury, Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahu also took part in the event.

The winner in the Elite (Men's) category, Rajesh from Tamil Nadu won a cash prize of Rs 1.25 lakh, while the Elite Women's champion Rutuja collected Rs 1 lakh.

Cash prizes totalling Rs 6 lakh were awarded across various categories. In addition, 50 cycles were distributed to participants through a lucky draw.