Steadfast Athlete and pride of Kashmir Waheed Ahmad has clinched the gold at G20 Cyclothon in Ganderbal, beating hundreds of cyclists and becoming an inspiration to passionate riders from the valley.
The G20 Cyclothon Rally, 'Pedal For Peace’, organised by the social voluntary organisation ‘Voice for Peace and Justice’, witnessed the participation of the youth of Ganderbal, Anantnag, Sapore, Pulwama, Budgam, and Srinagar for a cycle rally. More than 500 athletes from across the Kashmir Valley participated, making the event the talk of the town. The organisers said the aim of the cyclothon was to celebrate the arrival of foreign delegates associated with the G20 summit.
Waheed talked about his experience at G20 Cyclothon and said, “Events like G20 should be organised annually.”
Asked about his preparation and source of encouragement for the G20 Cyclothon, Waheed said, “Cycling is my profession and passion. My dedication towards training made me achieve a gold medal in G20 Cyclothon.” He said his parents were his source of encouragement.”
Waheed, who hails from the Kanihama Magam area in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, believes in pedalling to victory. He recently stood third at the HCL Cyclothon in the 55 km race held on March 19 at Noida, taking home a whopping cheque of 1.15 lakhs for his feat.
His cycling journey began when Waheed was in his school days. He saw many of his mates cycling, developing an interest in the sport. He started learning the fundamentals of cycling.
The athlete with a fighter’s spirit started cycling professionally in 2014. He has been in the top threes from the beginning of his cycling career. The first race Waheed won was the Celestial Buds Cycle Race. He is now creating new chronicles in cycling by winning state and national-level awards, having won five gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals in state Championships and nine golds in the district championships. Waheed also has a silver medal win in the National Championship held in Haryana to his credit.
Waheed honed his cycling skills with renowned Steadfast Athlete Dr Akbar Khan, a popular road cyclist from the Valley. The two train under the guidance of Coach Rajesh of Guru Nanak Dev University, a role model and a source of inspiration for him.
“Rajesh coach of Guru Nanak Dev University has inspired me,” said Waheed.
Dr Mohammad Akbar Khan attended the opening and presentation ceremony, encouraging all participants
As he climbs his stairs to success, Waheed has become a torchbearer of cycling in the valley. He believes that young talent should be recognised and trained to bear excellent results. “Catch them young, coach them right,” he says.
Waheed is all praise for sports and wellness brand Steadfast Nutrition. “Steadfast Nutrition plays an important role in enhancing my performance. Steadfast products have excellent results and have played a vital role in my gold medal,” he says, crediting the brand’s high-quality supplements for his performance.
The Steadfast athlete pedals to victory time and again. He is now aiming to come out as a winner in upcoming national games.
Waheed has become an emerging cycling icon of Jammu and Kashmir. He has made a name for himself in the cycling arena. Steadfast Nutrition aims to work closely with Waheed, encouraging athletes to consider sports nutrition as a basic need when aiming for medal-winning performances.
