Indian cyclists concluded their participation in the Asian Track Cycling Championships 2024 held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi without securing any medals. The competition, which commenced on February 21 and concluded on February 26, served as the final qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Led by prominent cyclists Ronaldo Singh, David Beckham, Esow Alben, and Rojit Singh, a total of 22 elite Indian cyclists competed for ranking points for the Summer Games.
Unfortunately, the Indian cyclists failed to replicate their success from the 2022 edition, also hosted in New Delhi, where they achieved their best-ever finish with nine medals, including one silver and eight bronze. Despite their efforts this year, the team was unable to secure any medals.
Tracking the performance
Meenakshi, participating in the women’s pursuit event, came close to clinching a medal but ultimately finished fourth with a timing of 1:18.154. She narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, losing to Kazakhstan’s Rinata Sultanova. However, Meenakshi’s performance in the qualifying round was impressive, as she clocked a national record time of 3:42.515 across two races to advance to the bronze medal round.
Ronaldo Singh, a silver medalist in the 1km individual time trial at the 2023 edition, finished fifth this year with a timing of 1:02.617. He also competed in the sprint event but did not qualify for the round of 16. Similarly, David Beckham, part of the bronze medal-winning Indian men’s sprint team in 2022, exited in the round of 16 this time.
Junior and Para teams shine with medal haul
Although the elite cyclists couldn’t secure medals, India’s junior and para teams showcased promising performances. Notably, para-cyclists contributed significantly, winning eight gold medals and six silvers. The junior women’s team sprint, comprising Sarita Kumari, Niya Sebastian, Sabina Kumari, and Zaina Mohammed Ali Pirkhan, clinched India’s other gold medal by clocking 53.383s.
Harshita Jakhar secured a bronze medal in the women’s junior madison category on the final day of the championships. She had earlier won the silver medal in the individual pursuit and the bronze medal in the team pursuit, showcasing India’s potential in junior cycling events.
