Hyderabad: It was the best surprise birthday gift for international cyclist Maxwell Trevor at the RRC grounds in Secunderabad on Sunday when the cycling track came alive with entries of over 650 young participants between the age group of six and 14 years. “I was overwhelmed with the response,’’ said Trevor.
The trainees of Trevor had planned to organise the event on their coach’s 58th birthday to promote cycling in the city. They expected about 100 to 120 young cyclists, but to their surprise there were more than 600 participants. “We were stunned by the huge turnout. We had to change our plans and reschedule the day’s event,’’ said Trevor.
Most of the participants were from underprivileged groups, according to Trevor. “Since many of them cannot afford to bring a racing cycle or the equipment required for the event, we bought about 15 racing cycles from Decathlon. It served our purpose as there was a good competition among the young participants. We organised the event in four age groups – 6 to 8 years, 8 to 10, 10 to 12 and 12 to 14 years. The last age group had to be cancelled because of rain,” he said.
Trevor said they would select these promising winners for training at the SATS Velodrome, Osmania University. “Apart from training, we will give them food and provide them with equipment. There are a few promising cyclists around. I think if we nurture them, we are sure to unearth a big medal prospect for the country. We should do it sincerely. A lot of discipline is required for this project,” signed off the ace cyclist and coach.
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