Four Punjab girls set national record to win gold in Ranchi
The sub-junior girls' team clocked 1 minute and 16 seconds in the team sprint event at the national championship.
A sub-junior girls' team from Punjab won gold in the team sprint event at the 41st Sub-Junior National Track Cycling Championship in Ranchi, according to The Tribune. The quartet set a new national record by clocking 1 minute and 16 seconds, breaking a record that had stood for seven years.
The winning team included Preeti Shah from Ludhiana, Guntaas Sandhu from Patiala, and Amritsar residents Japneet Kaur and Palakpreet Kaur. Two members of the group hail from Amritsar.
Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, general secretary of the Cycling Association of Punjab, said a special training camp was held in Ludhiana before the championship. He stated that the riders trained under experienced coaches to improve speed, endurance, and coordination.
Kahlon credited the success to the cyclists' dedication and the guidance of chief coach Satwinder Singh, coaches Bhupinder Kumar and Ikwinder Singh, and women's coach Harpreet Kaur.
The cyclists expressed gratitude to the Cycling Association of Punjab, their coaches, and their parents for their support. Kahlon also praised the efforts of association president Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal and the management team.
Dhaliwal described the performance as a landmark moment for Punjab cycling and said the win would encourage more young people, particularly girls, to take up sports.