Udupi cyclists pedal to glory with gold, bronze at state meet

Udupi: In a remarkable debut, the newly formed Udupi District Amateur Cycling Association (UDACA) made its presence felt at the 16th Karnataka State Road Cycling Championship held in Belagavi, clinching one gold and one bronze medal while earning three berths for the upcoming national championship.

Gliona D’Souza powered her way to the gold medal in the women’s open category with an outstanding performance, while Hardik Rai bagged the bronze in the fiercely contested men’s under-23 race. Both cyclists will represent Karnataka at the National Road Cycling Championship to be held in Odisha in November.

Adding to the district’s pride, Neel D’Souza also qualified for the nationals in the men’s under-23 category following his strong showing in the state event.

The UDACA team, which also included Srinidhi Urala, Deepak Kumar, Shubha, Darshil, and Joshua Fernandes, won appreciation for their spirited participation and sportsmanship despite the tough competition.

In a further boost, Hardik Rai has been selected to represent Karnataka at the National MTB Cycling Championship to be held later this month in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh — making him one of the few cyclists to compete in two national-level events this season.

UDACA president and coach Dr Gururaj K, vice president and team manager Dr Syed Mustafa Hasani, and treasurer and sports coordinator Deepak Kumar accompanied the team and received the awards at the closing ceremony.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including MLC Vivek Rao Patil, State Cycling Association president G.V. Patil, secretary Sreeshaila M. Kurani, director Raju Biradar, and convener Ramesh Pujari, who commended the emerging cycling talent from Udupi.

UDACA’s impressive start at the state level marks a significant milestone for the sport in coastal Karnataka, signalling a new era of promise for aspiring cyclists from the region.