CM inaugurates cycling velodrome in Vijayapura

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated a cycling velodrome in Bhutnal village in Vijayapura district on Friday.

Officials say that it can help not only aspiring sportspersons practice their craft but also will be available for holding national and international level cycling events in the future.

He described it as the first hi-tech velodrome not only in Karnataka but in the entire South India.

“There are a lot of cyclists and cycling enthusiasts in Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts. In my first term as Chief Minister, I gave approval to the proposal for a velodrome. I am happy to inaugurate it today,” he said.

The structure has been built over eight acres. It has a special track prepared for organizing track cycling training and competitions. This has a circumference of 333.33 m, with a 45-degree turn and a couple of flat sides. The project has cost over ₹10 crore.

The demand for a velodrome in Vijayapura was long pending. Competitive cyclists who needed higher training used to go to Pune or Delhi for training. The first proposal was mooted in 1998 but the foundation stone was laid by then Minister Goolihatti Shekhar only in 2009 and Minister Abhaychandra Jain launched works in 2015. However, work was delayed as contracting agencies did not have the technical expertise. Finally, KRIDL took up the project with assistance from a sports consulting agency from Kolkata.

President of Karnataka Amateur Cycling Association Raju Biradar said that the velodrome will not only help in improving performance but also avoid fatal accidents during practice on roads with traffic.

Vijayapura district has already hosted several national and State-level cycling championships and now their numbers will increase, he said.

The district already has around 20 national-level cyclists. The velodrome will not only help them become more competitive but also inspire others to take up cycling, he said.

Cycling fame

The love for cycling in Bijapur, the erstwhile undivided district, is historical.

The Patwardhan Royal family of Jamkhandi nurtured cyclists in nearby areas. The two districts have produced over 1,000 prize-winning cyclists in the last 50 years. At least 120 have competed in international and national level events, Mr. Biradar said.

In the 1980s, the Goudar sisters, Savita and Seema, created a sensation by winning a championship without formal training. They came from a poor family and learnt to cycle to ferry goods, as a means of livelihood.

The district also nursed national-level cycling champion Gangu Biradar who later became a Sub-Inspector of Police. Megha C. was another national-level cyclist.

National-level cycling coach M.C. Kurni trained youngsters in the District Stadium and on the roads in sub-urban areas.