Students take part in a cyclothon in Amritsar on Saturday.
Amritsar, April 9
To promote cycling as a healthy lifestyle choice and raise awareness against lifestyle diseases, especially among the youth, GNDU in association with MYAS Department of Sports Sciences and Medicine, on Saturday flagged off a 10-km cyclothon.
A number of students from the university’s fitness club and members of the faculty participated in the cyclothon. As many as 80 cyclists participated in the activity and six winners — three men and women — were given prizes at the end of the event.
The event was a way to promote clean living initiative that GNDU has been supporting through various activities. The campus was recently declared a green campus with several vehicle-free zones and a shuttle service provided for inter-campus travel for students and the faculty. The university also has zero noise pollution policy and it has recently installed air purifiers to check air pollution. The cycles are also offered for free or on rent for visitors to commute on the campus.
Prof Anish Dua, Dean Student Welfare, said this event was hosted to spread the message of becoming a cycle-friendly city. “Cycling had been taken up popularly during the pandemic as a commute and health activity. But post lockdown, traffic commotion is back on roads. Cycling has been proven to offer both physical and mental health benefits and we lead a longer and healthier life. We have been promoting cycling as a healthy lifestyle choice and we bat for making Amritsar a cycle-friendly city with cycling tracks built alongside all major routes.”
As many as 40 volunteers from the department itself provided their services in medical team, surveillance team and the media team with the help of the security department. The event was planned and organised under the guidance of fitness club mentors Dr Amrinder Singh and Srinivasa Rao Pachava by student coordinators Snober Rupal, Aditi Patkar and Ashutosh Singh.