Khelo India: Odisha’s Dinesh Kumar Bags First Gold in Cycling

Guwahati, January 12, 2020:

Dinesh Kumar from Odisha bagged the gold in the U-21 Individual 30 km event at the Khelo India Youth Games on Sunday. He completed the race by clocking 40:11:33 seconds.

“I don’t know. I have just liked something about cycling, right since I was a kid,” 19-year-old Dinesh said, after winning the Under-21 Time Trial gold medal on Sunday.

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Son of a small-time shop-keeper, Dinesh Kumar recalled that he had fallen in love with cycling while zipping around the neighbourhood on a bike, doing odd jobs to help his father.

“I think I got inspired by an elderly cycling fanatic that I used to see every day. Like him, I too simply pulled out my bike whenever I felt like and went away on long drives. It was all so peaceful and energizing,” he added.

Dinesh’s journey of cycling began after getting selected for SAI, Delhi after performing well in the national track championships held in Kerala in 2015. Two years later, he was picked up by the Indian Air Force and he has been practicing at the NIAS, Patiala since then.

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